Keith Watkinson, Director of HR:
“We are aware that UCU have emailed an open letter to a number of staff on the issue of colleagues who are on fixed term contracts, whose contracts are due to expire this academic year.
The University uses fixed term contracts to support work that is time limited, is funded for a specified period and/or for specific projects. Fixed term contracts are also used to cover posts for staff on maternity and other family leave or in some cases for a colleague who is on long term absence due to illness.
Colleagues will be aware from previous communications that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the University’s finances is likely to be significant and that over the past few months, we have taken a number of steps to mitigate this impact and to help us be financially better prepared for the challenges that we are expecting.
Our own financial modelling shows we need to plan for a shortfall in income of between £66m and £130m. Measures already in place include ceasing all non-essential non-pay expenditure, pausing some of our capital projects, use of the furlough scheme, cancelling this year’s promotions and progression round, freezing all new appointments and giving consideration as to how the University’s cash reserves and borrowing can be used to support us through this challenging period.
We have also been carefully reviewing our staffing levels and recently launched an enhanced voluntary severance programme to further reduce costs while trying to avoid the risk of compulsory redundancies in the future.
We value the work of all our colleagues, including those who are on fixed term contracts. We have been working hard to support staff throughout the pandemic and would extend contracts that require work to be undertaken and have funding to support them, furloughing others where this is appropriate. However, the University is not able to artificially extend fixed term contracts where there is no ongoing requirement for work beyond their defined end dates by drawing on the scheme. We have therefore taken the difficult decision not to renew or extend the employment of staff whose fixed term contracts are due to expire before August owing to the work, and the funding for it, coming to an end.
We are committed to protecting as many jobs as we can in these unprecedented times and the decision not to offer further employment to those people scheduled to leave us has not been an easy one. However, in the absence of work, or funding to support it, for us to continue with fixed term contracts, the associated cost would be £2.5 million. This is a decision we have taken for the long-term viability of the institution in the context of major reductions in our income.”