Rewards processes paused for one year

A number of reward and promotions processes at the University will be suspended for 2023/24 in response to the significant financial challenges facing the University.

The decision by the University Executive Board (UEB) to suspend these processes was taken after great consideration and was deemed necessary given the size of the financial challenge affecting the University. Together with other measures, it gives us the best possible chance to avoid worse impacts.

The suspension will mainly affect higher-paid colleagues and will deliver savings in the region of £880,000 over the next two years.

Cost of living pay awards, such as the one confirmed for August 2023; annual incremental pay increases for Grades 1-8, long service awards; and the Celebrating Success scheme, which allows vouchers up to the value of £100 to be awarded for outstanding performance, will not be affected.

Processes not running in 2023/24 are:

• Annual review processes for Professorial Staff and for Grade 9 and Senior Staff, which covers Heads of School and Dean roles. This process normally considers whether a pay increase or lump sum should be awarded based on individual performance, since these colleagues do not receive automatic pay increments. This process is scheduled to be relaunched after the one-year suspension.
• The Personal Titles process, which considers academic promotion to Associate Professor and Professor and Senior Research grades. This process is scheduled to be relaunched for 2024/25, commencing in September 2024.
• Reward Committees that consider the award of additional increments and contributions points for colleagues in Grades 1-8 and promotion of research staff from Grade 6-7. During this suspension, a full review of the current process will take place, following work undertaken this year by HR involving Heads of Schools and Functions. A revised process is scheduled to be launched for 2024/25.
• The Lump Sum Award scheme which normally provides Schools and Functions with a reward budget to make one-off payments to colleagues to recognise outstanding performance. Schools and Functions will not be able to allocate their own funds to issue Lump Sum or Celebrating Success awards, to ensure that the suspension is applied consistently across the University. Lump Sum Awards are scheduled to be relaunched for 2024/25.

The one-year suspension also provides an opportunity to undertake work to improve the processes and systems used to run these schemes. When the reward schemes return for 2024/25, they should feature improvements in line with the principles of reducing complexity and bureaucracy which is part of the wider financial challenges work.

UEB recognises the impact the suspension of these processes will have on colleagues and on the ability of managers to recognise the achievements and contribution of their staff. However, the contribution and achievements of colleagues during this time will be no less appreciated.

More information on this change can be found on the HR Reward and Recognition webpages.

Further updates on rewards processes will be issued during the coming year, including to groups of colleagues specifically affected.