Pay & Conditions news and updates

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provider, Spectrum Life, from 5 May 2025. This change follows direct staff feedback on the limitations of the previous provision.  

As with all Thriving at Oxford initiatives, this investment reflects the University’s determination to make Oxford a place where colleagues feel supported, valued, and able to thrive, strengthening our position as a great place to work for all. 

What’s Changing? 

• Spectrum Life will replace Heath Assured as the University’s EAP provider. 
• The new service offers confidential 24/7 access to trained counsellors via phone, WhatsApp, SMS, live chat, and the Spectrum Life wellbeing platform. 
• Structured short-term counselling sessions (up to 6 sessions where clinically indicated) will be available alongside a wide range of services, including legal, financial, consumer advice, and wellbeing resources. 
• The service extends to employees’ partners and dependants aged 16+ (still living at home). 
• To ensure a smooth transition, the Health Assured service will continue until 3 July 2025. 

 
The new offer significantly broadens the range of accessible support, combining expert-led interventions with a comprehensive library of wellbeing tools. 

How to access the new service 

From 5 May 2025, employees will be able to access the EAP via:  

• Freephone (UK): 0044 800 031 8383. 
• Freephone (International): 00 353 1 518 0277
• WhatsApp or SMS: Text “Hi” to +44 74 18360780 
• Live chat or request-a-callback via the Spectrum Live app and web platform app.spectrum.life 

No access code is required – employees simply confirm they are part of the University of Oxford community. 

Full guidance, FAQ’s, and promotional resources will be available on the Thriving at Oxford website from 5 May. The EAP forms part of Thriving at Oxford and is delivered through the Pay & Conditions programme. 

The University recognises that hybrid and flexible working have become a valued and established part of working life at Oxford for many staff. 

In line with the recommendation in the Pay & Conditions Review, the New Ways of Working guidance (introduced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021) has been reviewed and integrated into the University’s business-as-usual practices.  

Since 2021, there were two frameworks – one for Flexible working and one for New Ways of Working. These frameworks are now being consolidated into one. This should reduce confusion and make applying the framework simpler.  

What’s changing? 

• The New Ways of Working web pages have now been retired.  
• All relevant information has been integrated into the University’s flexible working guidance – making it easier to find and apply. 
• The updated guidance includes clearer information and advice on: 
  • How to request hybrid or fully remote working (informally or formally) 
  • What managers should consider when reviewing requests 
  • Support for managing hybrid teams 

  • Key issues like health and safety, data security, equipment, and inclusion 

The guidance has been shaped by feedback from staff, managers, HR teams, and our Trade Union colleagues – as well as from the pulse surveys and Staff Experience Survey data collected since the New Ways of Working framework was first introduced. 

The newly integrated Flexible Working guidance doesn’t seek to impose new procedures but clarifies expectations and ensures compliance with the formal statutory framework where needed. 

We are committed to creating a positive, supportive working environment for all our staff. These updates will help ensure Oxford remains a great place to work – now and in the future. 

Read the full guidance here: Flexible Working – University HR 

If you have any questions or feedback about the guidance, please email payandconditions@admin.ox.ac.uk  

The Workload Management Programme is a comprehensive two-part skills development initiative designed to enhance the way workload is managed across the University. These new resources are for Professional Services staff and consist of an online toolkit that can be accessed at any time and a one-day in-person development session. Tailored support for Academics and Researchers will follow in collaboration with the Academic Career and Reward Framework.  

While the online toolkit is designed to be used by any Professional Services staff member, the development session is designed for line-managers, representing a significant investment in our management capability. 

The focus on workload management is a direct response to employee feedback both in the 2023 Staff Experience Survey and the Pay & Conditions Review.  

While this programme isn’t designed to solve all your workload challenges, it should help you manage your workload more proactively.  By equipping managers with strategies and insights to navigate open and honest workload discussions with confidence, the intention is to foster a culture of well-being, balance, and productivity.  

The one-day development session will support our Confident Manager Series. As such, it is only open to those colleagues who manage other employees.  

To book your place on the course, or find out further details, you can access the programme homepage. The first session launches at the end of April, so we would recommend you book early to secure your place.  

The Workload Management Toolkit is packed with resources for all Professional Services staff that provide support at every step, empowering conversations and promoting shared responsibility.  

In a blog featured in the University Bulletin, Francis Parkes, the University's Wellbeing Programme Manager, reflected on the promotion and support of staff wellbeing initiatives and outlined upcoming deliverables as part of the Thrive @ Oxford Action Plan, including the University's new Employee Assistance Programme. All Thrive @ Oxford deliverables are being funded as part of the Pay & Conditions programme, reinforcing employee well-being as a key component of the employee experience at Oxford.

Read Francis' blog here.

In a significant enhancement to its Family Leave scheme, the University of Oxford is pleased to now offer extended paid leave to eligible new fathers/partners of new mothers.   

Effective from 31 January 2025 the new Oxford University Additional Paternity/Partner leave policy extends the leave period up to 12 weeks, inclusive of the two-week statutory period.  

The University of Oxford understands it is important to provide both parents time to bond with their new child and revising our previous policy allows a better balance between parents/guardians. With this new scheme, the University is reinforcing its commitment to fostering a workplace where new parents feel valued and supported in their family lives.  

Oxford joins a relatively small group of organisations across the UK to offer paid paternity leave to this extent. Offering this new scheme reflects a progressive approach to supporting new parents, ensuring that employees can fully embrace this life-changing moment with fewer financial or professional concerns.  

To allow more colleagues who have recently had or adopted children, to make use of this new scheme, the University is implementing transitional arrangements enabling these colleagues to access some of the leave resulting from the Oxford University Additional Paternity/Partner leave policy as well. 

Further details
More details of the new scheme, including the transitional arrangements, eligibility and notice periods, can be found on the Paternity leave website. 

Staff on joint appointments with colleges will have access to this scheme in the same way as they would any of our other family leave schemes. 

Questions
Questions about your personal circumstances should be directed to your local HR contact, while more general queries can be sent to the Pay & Conditions team at payandconditions@admin.ox.ac.uk or on the Pay & Conditions FAQ page. 

The university of Oxford needs to compete as an employer of choice across the global market. We already lead our Russel Group peers, by being the largest recruiter of international academic and research talent, however, we need to make sure we can retain this position. As part of this objective and based on consultation during the Pay & Conditions Review, the University will be making some changes to its policy on reimbursing staff visa and NHS surcharge costs.  

You can find further details of the policy on the Immigration Policy webpage. 

The changes to this policy will take effect from 1 January 2025.  

Any questions about your visa situation should be directed to your departmental immigration contact. 

Following on from the implementation of the Oxford University Weighting (OUW) at the end of September, and the introduction of free mental health training in  October, the programme is moving at pace to deliver on its commitments. Several non-pay-related components of the Pay & Conditions programme are agreeing on the final details of how they will be managed before launch. Amongst these, are the initiatives for extended paid Paternity Leave, and some of the costs associated with employee immigration. More details of both of these are expected to be available in the coming weeks, subject to committee approval. 

Work is also underway on Line Manager/Supervisor capability, with the launch of a workload management toolkit in Hilary term following committee approval. 
 

Earlier in the summer, at the launch of the Thriving at Oxford Action Plan 2024-25, Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor, commented that ‘everyone has a part to play in staff wellbeing and the concept of empowering staff to support themselves and their colleagues will be central to the strategy going forward’.  

Mental health is central to the overall wellbeing of our employees. The University of Oxford takes mental health seriously. When it comes to mental health issues, prevention is absolutely key. In the 2023 Staff Experience Survey, 20% of total respondents reported mental ill-health and 67% of these said that their mental health difficulties were caused by work.  

The University has taken this feedback seriously, which is why we are delighted to announce that the Thriving at Oxford Programme is collaborating with Student Welfare and Support Services to offer Mental Health Awareness training. This is now available to all staff and includes specific training aimed at line managers and staff supporting students. The training includes identifying indicators of common mental health difficulties, how to have a wellbeing conversation with a colleague and where to find support, as well as strategies for maintaining good mental health. 

Staff can access the training here. 

Previously, this training has been available at a cost – but as part of the Pay & Conditions Programme and in collaboration with Student Welfare and Support Services, we are able to offer this foundation level training on a complimentary basis going forward. 

For more information about the resources and services provided by the Thriving at Oxford Programme, visit the 'Looking after you' webpage. In addition, a separate Mental Health Crisis Support webpage is also available to staff.

Oxford University Weighting 

The University is pleased to confirm that payment of the new Oxford University Weighting to all staff on grades 1–10 of the main salary and grading structure will begin in the September 2024 payroll (Friday 27 September), backdated to 1 August 2024. 

The Oxford University Weighting of £1,500 per annum will be paid in addition to nationally negotiated pay spine salaries and incorporated into monthly salaries. It will be applied pro-rata for part-time and hourly paid staff and in-year starters and leavers. 

An FAQ explaining how the Oxford University Weighting affects staff on grades 1–3 has been added to the FAQs page of this website (SSO login required). 

Uplift to grade 10a for Associate Professors 

As a further outcome of the Pay & Conditions review, the uplift of the grade 10a Associate Professor salary scales (for all those on payroll system codes 30S, 36S, 38S and 39Q – the salary codes that appear in the ‘Salary’ tab on the HR Self-Service system) will also be implemented in the September 2024 payroll, backdated to 1 August 2024. 

For further details on these measures, visit Pay & Conditions: Action on Pay.  

HR Self-Service 

You will be able to see these changes on your payslips and in your profile in HR Self-Service. If you have any questions regarding your own pay, please speak to your local HR contact in the first instance. 

New salary scales published 

The University’s published salary and grading structure has been updated to reflect the changes outlined above. 

As per outcomes of the Pay & Conditions review, additional changes have been made to improve pay structure and progression for colleagues in grades 1–3, going forward. These improvements are in addition to the Oxford University Weighting (which is being applied based on the 1 August 2023 salary scales, for all staff and hence incorporates the uplift made earlier this year to reflect a rise in the Oxford Living Wage in the meantime).  

Recruitment for new positions 

Changes have been made to the University’s HR system so that any new recruitment utilises the new pay spine, inclusive of the Oxford University Weighting. Please bear that in mind when recruiting or applying for other roles within the University. 

The national inflationary pay uplift 

The Pay & Conditions measures outlined above are additional to the outcomes of this year’s national inflationary pay negotiations. 

Information about the national negotiations co-ordinated by the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) with the trade unions will be communicated when ready, this autumn.  

Further details and questions 

For more information about the Pay & Conditions programme, please visit the Pay & Conditions web pages. 

If you have any questions about the Oxford University Weighting or the Pay & Conditions programme in general, please check the FAQs, before reaching out to your local HR contact in the first instance. 

More than 800 colleagues joined a webinar hosted by Professor Anne Trefethen (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, People & Digital) on Thursday 11 July at 11.30am, to find out more about outcomes of the Pay & Conditions review. Participants had the opportunity to share questions in advance or during the event.

Thank you to everyone who registered. A recording of the session is available to watch on demand via the link below, along with a transcript. It includes the presentation slides shown during the event.

Watch webinar recording (SSO login required for access)

This recording will be available for three months from the date of the event. The Pay & Conditions frequently asked questions will be updated in the coming days to reflect key themes raised in the Q&A, particularly in questions the panel did not have the chance to answer on the day.

The University Bulletin newsletter sent to all staff on Monday 8 July confirmed that the Oxford University Weighting for all staff on grades 1–10 and the uplift of Associate Professor salary scales on grade 10a (payroll system codes 30S, 36S, 38S and 39Q) will be implemented in the September 2024 payroll, backdated to 1 August 2024. This allows for the necessary conversations and payroll changes to be completed. 

For further details of these pay measures, visit Pay & Conditions: Action on Pay. Delivery dates for other pay measures resulting from the Pay & Conditions review will be confirmed shortly.

Incremental progression and national inflationary pay uplift

The Bulletin also included a reminder that the Pay & Conditions measures are additional to any standard incremental progression due on 1 August (grades 1–5) or 1 October (grades 6–10 and 10a) and to the outcomes of this year’s national pay negotiations.

Information about any additional inflationary increase that may be agreed nationally through the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) will be communicated separately this summer, via the Staff Gateway.

Pay & Conditions review webinar

Colleagues were reminded that registrations for the Pay & Conditions review webinar to be held at 11.30am on Thursday 11 July would close at 12pm on Tuesday 9 July.

Key themes arising from questions at this event will also be reflected in the Pay & Conditions frequently asked questions, which are being updated regularly.

On Thursday 27 June, all University staff received an email from the Events Office with an invitation to join a Pay & Conditions review webinar on Thursday 11 July 2024, from 11.30am to 12.45pm, hosted by Professor Anne Trefethen (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, People & Digital).

This webinar will open with a short summary of the review's key outcomes. Colleagues can submit a question in advance, when registering, or on the day.

Panel members:

• Professor Anne Trefethen (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, People & Digital)
• Dr Markos Koumaditis (HR Director)
• Professor Tim Power (Head of Social Sciences Division)
• Charles Alexander (Finance Bursar, Merton College)

This event will be recorded and the video and transcript will be made available to all staff via this webpage, after the event.

The Vice-Chancellor sent an email to all University staff on Tuesday 25 June, announcing the plan of action approved by Council on 13 May in response to the Pay & Conditions review. The plan represents a commitment of £129 million over the next five years to action across pay and non-pay benefits, to help transform the culture of how we invest in people.

This email included a short video message about key outcomes and what they mean for the University and linked to further information on these webpages. A transcript of the video message can also be found on the Staff Gateway.

The Pay & Conditions webpages have been updated to coincide with the Vice-Chancellor's email, including information on the Pay & Conditions homepage about action to be taken across pay and reward, fixed-term contracts, support for international staff, housing and transport, leave, work-life balance, health and wellbeing, childcare support, personal and professional development, and supporting infrastructure and systems. 

All colleagues are also invited to join a Pay & Conditions webinar on 11 July from 11.30am to 12.45pm on Microsoft Teams Live, with an opportunity to submit any questions in advance or during the event. Key themes arising will be reflected in the Frequently asked questions (FAQs) section of these webpages (SSO login required). An invitation email will follow later this week from the Events Office, with a link to register.

For reference, a version of the Pay & Conditions Report submitted to Council by the Pay & Conditions Steering Committee in February 2024, from which sensitive and/or licensed data has been removed, can also be found via the Quick Links on the Pay & Conditions homepage (SSO staff login required).

Divisional and departmental leadership teams received an update via the University Cascade email on Wednesday 19 June 2024, confirming that outcomes of the Pay & Conditions review are due to be shared with all staff in the last week of June, in an email from the Vice-Chancellor's Office. Information about what has been agreed and what to expect next will be shared on these webpages, along with a new series of Frequently Asked Questions. A further email will follow from the Events Office, inviting all staff to join a webinar, where there will be a chance to ask any questions. 

An item in the next edition of the University Bulletin newsletter, on Monday 8 July, will also include links to where the relevant information can be found.

In the University Bulletin newsletter sent to all staff on Tuesday 28 May there was a short update confirming that University Council met on Monday 13 May and approved a plan of action in response to the Pay & Conditions review.

Colleagues were also informed that outcomes of the review would be shared in the coming weeks in an email to all University staff, with further information published on the Pay & Conditions webpages. The newsletter item included a link to these webpages, to find out more about the review.

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.