Employment issues

Union leader denies all allegations of wrongdoing at watchdog hearing, as former campaign rivals look to overturn election result

Staff at Strathclyde and Durham vote to walk out in disputes over job losses and workloads, while Northumbria to be hit with disruption in row over pensions

After years of turbulence in the higher education sector, Dutch universities say the incoming government marks ‘change of direction’

Candidates who stood in 2024 poll seek rerun of campaign after alleging incumbent broke rules by using internal resources – claims strongly denied by union

Mental health policies need to be more than just a ‘tick-box’ exercise or risk falling flat, university HR leaders say

Formal complaints have shot up in recent years, albeit from a low base. But where some see the inevitable effects of redundancies, hybrid working and an overdue crackdown on poor conduct, others perceive the abuse of the system by managers to force out awkward characters. Jack Grove reports

Further walkouts planned as part of internal row that has seen six weeks of disruption in past year alone

Union wins industrial action ballot over move to freeze pay for those who refuse Teachers’ Pension Scheme switch

Separate rules on pay and promotions, opaque evaluations and cultural barriers jar with country’s drive to internationalise universities, say scholars

Critics allege that Australian universities have developed a bad habit of secrecy around severance agreements even when it serves no reasonable purpose – or, worse, prevents an important wider issue from being highlighted. But is there more to the issue than meets the eye? John Ross reports  

University claims staff are in breach of contract for failing to reorganise lectures lost during recent industrial action

Union leader says Southend campus closure will ‘take the heart out of the town’

Institutions forced to take matters into their own hands as high employer contributions ‘increase likelihood of university closure’

New Ucea chair warns ‘much is at stake’ if unions and employers don’t collaborate to tackle ‘negative’ sector image, as he promises action on the ‘employee experience’

Scholars with short contracts seen as more likely to favour doing ‘safer’ work, with ‘serious ramifications’ for their disciplines

Scottish institutions made to address workplace inequalities and zero-hours contracts as condition of receiving grants

University’s plan to cut more than 100 academic roles puts its reputation for inclusive education at risk, fears UCU

Union says reduction in staff numbers has led to increased pressure but university warns potential industrial action lacks justification

Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt, Stirling and Strathclyde threatened with industrial action as Scottish government’s review of higher education funding begins

‘Cynical’ seasoned scholars advise younger peers to pursue alternative employment, signalling ‘sustainability crisis’ for universities

Increases to staff-student ratios could send university into a ‘death spiral’, says union leader as vice-chancellor insists institution must act now

Investigation by Health and Safety Executive found institution ‘does not have appropriate arrangements in place’ to manage burnout among staff

Union members back industrial action in early 2026 as row over pensions continues while Essex employees also launch ballot

Universities ‘afraid to be trans inclusive’ after Supreme Court ruling and OfS Sussex fine, leaving staff fearing ‘hostile environment’

Cardiff’s January announcement of plans to cut 400 academic jobs and close several departments prompted a media firestorm that heaped opprobrium on its vice-chancellor. But she also received lots of quiet support for her efforts to put the university back on an even financial keel, she tells Chris Havergal

Reprieve for decades-old institution reflects outpouring of community concern and improvement in university’s financial position

University says it has been forced into making ‘decisions we could have never previously imagined’ after steep drop in international student numbers

UK’s biggest academic union unable to pursue national industrial action over pay and job cuts after it fails to meet minimum turnout threshold

Academics claim changes made to higher education system a decade ago have divided sector into ‘winners and losers’, with government-imposed limits on income exacerbating financial challenges

Refusal to accept the scale of discrimination faced by Jewish scholars and students reflects a blind spot in academic thinking, argues Noam Schimmel 

More transparency needed on how titles are awarded, academics say, as some believe they have lost out after criticising their institution

Norwegian government celebrates fall in temporary employment rates but academics say they don’t reflect reality

Minister aims to bring academia in line with other regulated professions after outcry over harassment within universities

While staff protest efforts to cut hybrid working arrangements at Western institutions, university employees in Asia have long been back in the office full-time

Cost to sector ‘significant’ as reports say chancellor planning to limit tax-free contributions

Industrial action also planned at University of Derby as rows over employment conditions deepen

Tension within union over whether pay dispute is a distraction, or helpful in galvanising branches trying to halt job cuts

University proposes to merge existing administrative functions into central hub but unions fear move will add to ‘enormous pressures’

University says moving employees from more expensive scheme will save it up to £11 million a year

University says financial uncertainties continue as government’s proposed student levy will ‘wipe out any benefits’ from rising tuition fees

Poor health blamed as full-time employment also down among young Australians, according to longitudinal surveys

Union branches plan walkouts across UK amid increased tensions with senior managers

University reports itself to watchdog after employees receive letters with the words ‘redundancy process’ clearly visible through an envelope

Union claims that professional service staff have been told to move on to subsidiary firm with less generous pension scheme, or face losing their job

Alignment between study and work improving, particularly in health and education

Institutions should retrain staff affected now rather than ‘sustain jobs which machines can do better and cheaper’, expert argues

Proposed job losses almost triple since March as unions prepare to vote on nationwide industrial action

UCU Scotland members back taking action over job cuts plans, while staff at Nottingham reject deal that would have postponed any compulsory redundancies

Negotiations over whether to honour 1.4 per cent increase ongoing at several other institutions amid financial crunch

National University of Singapore scraps policy that allowed one work from home day because of the ‘value of in-person interactions’

Almost 40 principal lecturer posts affected and 14 jobs lost in planned restructure, while staff at Imperial College London strike over ‘below inflation’ pay offer

Flexibility of hours and drive to do meaningful research among the things workers prize most highly, but could also be driving them to quit

Union plans to call four weeks of continuous strikes as university reviews staffing across several academic departments

Possibility of even slower visa processing ranks among the factors fuelling ‘pessimism’ about Australian university finances

Long-term employment contract better explained as form of worker protection, says author of new book

Little enthusiasm for US-style crackdown as voters back initiatives such as ‘broadening the curriculum’

University leaders rule out forced redundancies as proposed UTS cuts claim the spotlight

Staff criticise vice-chancellor’s failure to protect jobs despite additional government funding

Turnout required to move ahead with industrial action ‘very hard’ to achieve, say academics

University employees back industrial action after rejecting two per cent pay award