The new policy enhances our commitment to use indefinite/permanent contractual arrangements wherever possible, and further reduce the use of fixed-term and casual arrangements.
A partnership working group, commissioned by Paul Boustead, Director of Human Resources & Organisational Development, containing HR representatives and trade union colleagues from UCU, Unite and Unison, met regularly for almost 12 months to negotiate on key issues. They received invaluable input from a range of stakeholders from across the University and Lancaster University Students’ Union.
Paul said, “At Lancaster we’re proud that we are in a strong position when it comes to contract use, in spite of the increasing amount of time-limited funding we receive. We now have over 75% of our staff employed on indefinite contracts, and we want to further increase this. The new policy is the result of a year’s hard work with trade unions, and it underlines our commitment to making sure staff feel secure and supported at this university.”
The overarching principle of the new policy is for the University to provide continuity and security of employment for staff, whenever possible. This will provide stability and reduce the stress caused by uncertain working arrangements, ensuring that roles and responsibilities are clear and staff are treated fairly and consistently in terms of pay/benefits, working arrangements and support. The policy has been noted as good practice nationally by national UCU leads and UCEA.
Read the Fixed-term Contracts and Casual Working Policy and Procedure
A detailed plan is currently being developed to ensure that the new policy is rolled out effectively. This will include an initial review of anyone on fixed-term or casual arrangements, to assess whether alternative arrangements would be appropriate, in accordance with the policy.
RSA Note: the use of “indefinite” and/or “permanent” contracts can be confusing. Whilst your contract may be indefinite, it is extremely likely that as a researcher it still subject to securing external funds. As soon as your funding runs out you may find yourself being made redundant. Check out our FAQ for more information on redundancy for researchers at Lancaster.