Pay & Conditions news and updates

All staff were invited to join the Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey for 'A Conversation with the VC' at the HB Allen Centre Lecture Theatre on Banbury Road in Oxford, on Wednesday 24 April 2024. This event was moderated by Professor Tim Soutphommasane (Chief Diversity Officer) and Professor David Prout (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Planning & Resources). Staff could either join online or in-person and the event was recorded.

The event opened with an update from the Vice-Chancellor on a number of initiatives and current areas of focus, including comments on the importance of the Pay & Conditions review for guiding future work and the progress of its findings and recommendations through University governance structures since March. During the event, the Vice-Chancellor also picked up on a number of pay and conditions related questions that had been submitted by colleagues anonymously, in advance.

Colleagues can watch a recording of the event via the Staff Gateway (SSO staff login required).

The findings and recommendations of the Pay & Conditions Steering Committee were discussed further as part of University Council’s scheduled Week 1 meeting of Trinity term 2024, on 22 April. 

During April, aspects have also been discussed with divisional leadership, the Conference of Colleges Steering Committee, University Committees (PRAC and Finance) and the Trade Unions. There will be further discussions at People Committee, on 2 May. 

Council meets next on 13 May to discuss a plan of action in response to the review. If a plan is agreed, outcomes of the review and proposed next steps will be shared with all staff, shortly afterwards. This is now likely to be in the first week of June 2024, to fit around relevant communications deadlines and school half term at the end of May (when a significant number of colleagues are likely to be away), and to allow time for initial conversations with senior leadership beyond Council and any relevant heads of services, before outcomes are shared more widely.  

Communications in June will include an all-staff email, an update in the University Bulletin, and further information on the Pay & Conditions webpages about what to expect.

On 23 April 2024, the Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey shared an update on the Pay & Conditions review as part of her start of Trinity term video message to all staff. She mentions discussions that have taken place with Divisional and College leadership since Easter, and reiterates plans for updating all staff once Council have met to discuss a plan of action in Week 4 of term, on 13 May. You can watch the video on YouTube or read a transcript of the message on the Staff Gateway.

In her end of Hilary term video message to all staff, the Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey confirmed that the findings and draft recommendations of the Pay & Conditions Steering Committee were discussed by University Council on 4 March.  

There will be ongoing discussion as part of the Council’s scheduled meeting on 22 April 2024 (in Week 1 of Trinity term). Aspects of the review's findings and financial implications will also be discussed by members of relevant University committees and with divisional leadership and the Conference of Colleges Steering Committee, to help ensure that Council members have the information they need to agree a plan of action on 13 May. Outcomes of the review will be shared with all colleagues as soon as possible after that. 

On 13 March 2024, the Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey shared an end of Hilary term video message with all staff. In the video, she gives an update on the Pay & Conditions review which was discussed by University Council on 4 March. She also mentions next steps for Council agreeing a plan of action in Trinity term and for sharing outcomes with all staff as soon as possible after that. You can watch the video on YouTube or read a transcript of the message on the Staff Gateway.

The staff feedback form, which welcomes ideas, comments and questions from colleagues for the Pay & Conditions review, will close on Friday 10 November to give the Steering Committee time to consider all feedback before submitting a draft report to the Vice-Chancellor in December. Staff were informed of the feedback form's closure date in the 30 October Bulletin. The Pay & Conditions FAQ webpage was also signposted to as a place where staff can find responses to frequently asked questions.

Rupert McNeil, one of the external members of the Pay & Conditions Steering Committee, talks about discussions at the committee’s workshop on staff benefits, held on 9 October 2023. This was shared with all staff in the University Bulletin on 30 October. Visit the Staff Gateway to read Rupert's blog.

A recording of the Pay & Conditions Town Hall-style event, that took place on 11 October, was shared with all staff in the 16 October edition of Bulletin. You can find a link to the recording on the Pay & Conditions Report: staff consultation and events webpage (SSO login required).

Professor Matt Jarvis, member of the Pay & Conditions Steering Committee, discusses the committee’s second workshop on pay benchmarking for academic and research staff. This was shared with all staff in the University Bulletin on 2 October. Visit the Staff Gateway to read Matt's blog.

A webpage with Pay & Conditions FAQs launched on 29 September 2023, reflecting key themes and questions arising from staff feedback form submissions to the Pay & Conditions Report Steering Committee and recent staff events. New FAQs will be added regularly, as more questions are received. Staff were informed about the new FAQ webpage in the University Bulletin on 2 October 2023.

The University Bulletin sent to all staff on 18 September 2023 carried a reminder that all University staff were invited to attend a Pay & Conditions Town Hall-style event on Wednesday 11 October (12.30–2pm), taking place online and in person at the Oxford Martin School. This followed an invitation email sent directly to all University staff on Friday 15 September.

The Bulletin item informed staff that the Town Hall event would be an opportunity to hear from Professor Dame Kay Davies, Chair of the Steering Committee leading the Pay & Conditions review, and to put questions and points of view to a panel of committee members. It linked to an online registration form for the event, with the opportunity to submit question for the panel in advance, on the themes of Pay, Benefits, Investment in People, or Reward Policies and Procedures.

Bob Price, member of the Pay & Conditions Steering Committee, discusses the committee’s first workshop on professional services pay benchmarking and updates colleagues on the pay and conditions work over the summer. This was shared with all staff in the University Bulletin on 4 September. Visit the Staff Gateway to read Bob’s blog.

Following a University-wide call in July 2023 for staff participation in a series of Pay & Conditions focus groups, a further call was shared in the University Bulletin sent to all staff on 4 September 2023, to encourage staff in specific groups that are currently under-represented in the volunteer pool to consider self-nominating. The deadline for self-nominations from staff in these groups was 14 September 2023.

Staff were also invited to share their feedback and ask questions about the review using the staff feedback form.

The staff focus groups were held in late September or October 2023, each running for approximately 90 minutes, on topics such as pay, financial benefits, non-financial benefits, pay structures and processes for progression, recognition, and fixed-term contracts. These gave participants the opportunity to engage with the committee’s work, and helped the committee to identify staff priorities and gather insight for its final report.

Due to capacity limitations and the need to ensure as representative a mix of participants as possible, the committee could not guarantee that all self-nominated staff were invited to join a focus group but will aimed to include as many staff as possible.

Throughout summer 2023, the Pay & Conditions work will continue with a series of pay benchmarking workshops. Steering Committee members will attend four workshops including: benchmarking for professional services, benchmarking for academic roles, benchmarking benefits and investment in people. 

General updates on the committee’s work will commence from 4 September, when the University Bulletin newsletter resumes publication.  

Look out for an invitation - in a September issue of University Bulletin - to join a town-hall session with committee members during October, where you can hear about their work and have your questions answered. 

Staff focus groups will be held in September and October, focusing on topics including pay, financial benefits, non-financial benefits, pay structures and processes for progression, recognition and fixed-term contracts. Thank you to the staff who applied to join these focus groups; applications closed on 24 July 2023, and over the summer, participants will be selected to ensure attendees are as representative as possible of Oxford staff’s circumstances. 

In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to share feedback, please complete the Pay & Conditions feedback form to submit a message. 

The Pay & Conditions Committee is committed to involving staff in its work. In the University Bulletin sent to all staff on 10 July 2023, staff were invited to self-nominate to participate in a series of staff focus groups on the Pay & Conditions work. The self-nomination form closed on 24 July 2023. We would like to thank those who volunteered to participate.  

The focus groups were held in September and October 2023 to give colleagues the opportunity to engage with the committee’s work, identify staff priorities and gather insight. 

Due to the need to establish focus groups that incorporate a representative mix of staff participants, the committee could not guarantee that all self-nominated staff were invited to join the focus groups. However, we aimed to include as many staff as we can. Where there are gaps in representation, direct recruitment will be used to target specific staff groups. 

Dame Kay Davies, Chair of the Pay & Conditions Report Steering Committee and Emeritus Professor of Genetics, introduces herself, updates colleagues on what the committee is working on and shares information on ways you can get involved in the work. This was shared with all staff in the University Bulletin on 10 July. Visit the Staff Gateway to read Kay’s blog.

On 22 May, 2023 Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Anne Trefethen, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (People & Digital), Dr Markos Koumaditis, HR Director and Professor Tim Soutphommasane, Chief Diversity Officer, hosted an Open Forum to discuss People, Pay and Conditions, ahead of the Pay & Conditions report. 

You can view a recording of the session on the Open Forum webpages.