Agreement on informing and consulting employees

  1. The University of Oxford wishes to ensure that its employees have appropriate information and opportunities enabling them to influence the development of its policies and practices that affect them, to make their views known, and to have those views taken into account in the University’s decision-making. This agreement sets out the means by which the University complies with the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004.  

[There are, in addition, specific legal requirements on the University to consult employees whenever there is a risk either that contracts of employment will be terminated on grounds of either redundancy or employment transferring into or out of the University. Detailed guidance on consultation in these circumstances can be found at Redundancies – requirements to consult and Staff and business transfers.]

  1. The University will inform and consult its employees through their elected representatives on the following joint committees with staff representatives or with their successor bodies:
  • The Joint Consultative Committee with the Oxford UCU (previously known as the AUT), representing academic and academic-related staff
  • The Joint Committee for University Support Staff (JCUSS), representing clerical, library, ancillary, gardens, and parks staff, technicians and the Estates Directorate Works Yard staff

The arrangements under which staff representatives serve on these committees are set out in the appropriate staff handbook. (N.B. Arrangements covering both academic and academic-related staff are included in the Handbook for Academic-related Staff.)

  1. Joint Committee contact details  
  2. The joint committees will make arrangements, which will be subject to the approval of People Committee, for the provision of information and employee consultation at the university level.
  3. University departments will make and publish local arrangements for informing and consulting their employees in accordance with the guidance.
  4. Topics on which information will be provided and on which employees will, as appropriate, be consulted will include:
    1. The development of employment policies, practices, codes of practice and regulations
    2. Measures designed to bring about greater equality of opportunity for University employees, including equal opportunities monitoring arrangements and the outcome of such monitoring.
    3. The University’s arrangements for training and developing employees
    4. The recent and probable development of the University’s activities and economic situation
    5. The situation, structure, and probable development of employment within the University, in particular where there is the likelihood that employment will cease or diminish, or where it is proposed that employment transfers into or out of the University
    6. Decisions likely to lead to substantial changes in work organisation or in contractual relations

Confidentiality

From time to time matters on which the University wishes to consult employee representatives will be confidential and not for release to employees generally. Confidentiality requirements notified to staff representatives must be respected at all times.