Section 2: academic-related staff handbook

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2.1.1 Policy-making bodies

The employment of all staff of the University is subject to its Statutes and Regulations. Matters affecting the establishment and grading of posts, salary scales and general conditions of service are determined by University Council (as detailed in section 1 of handbook).

Council is advised on matters relating to staff by the People Committee. Certain functions of this committee are carried out by specialist subcommittees. Details appear in section 8 of this handbook.

2.1.2 Departments and institutions

The University, as the employer, has overall responsibility for the employment of all staff in university departments and institutions, but each member of staff is initially engaged by a particular department or institution. Departments manage their own recruitment, issue standard letters of appointment and are responsible for the work and welfare of their members of staff. A number of departments issue their own handbooks, containing more detailed information than can be included in this publication, relating to the working arrangements and conditions within that department. Any question relating to your employment should be addressed in the first instance to the Departmental Administrator (or equivalent).

Note: in some departments, faculties and other units the role of Departmental Administrator may be carried out by an equivalent person with a different title.

2.1.3 University Offices

The servicing of the People Committee and its panels, and responsibility for the execution of its policy, are in the hands of a unit of the Administration Division of the University Offices - University HR (situated in Worcester Street). See the University of Oxford Internal Telephone Directory, or the contact search on the University's home page for details of individual extension numbers.

The division of the University Offices which handles among other matters the administration of salaries and the pension schemes for the staff of most departments is the Finance Division, also situated in the University Offices. Enquiries in connection with these matters should be addressed in the first instance to your Departmental Administrator.

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Altogether there are around 10,000 full-time and part-time members of the University's staff, including those employed in clinical departments on local NHS Trust sites.

For staff employed on NHS Trust sites, where there is any inconsistency between the NHS terms and conditions of employment and your University terms and conditions of employment the terms and conditions as determined by the University People Committee and/or Council will prevail.

2.2.1 Academic-related staff

There are ten grades for staff in the University; academic-related staff are employed in grades 6-10. Each post is placed on a grade after an evaluation of the work to be performed and the level of skill and responsibility it requires, using the Higher Education Role Analysis (HERA) job evaluation scheme which was extensively tested and implemented at Oxford by a joint working group of management and staff representatives.

The broad salary scales for academic and academic-related staff in universities are negotiated nationally and implemented locally at Oxford after consideration by the People Committee and Council. There are additionally some broad national agreements on conditions of employment and their adoption and/or adaptation at Oxford is subject to People Committee approval - most conditions of general application in the University being determined locally, following consultation within the relevant joint committee with employee representatives.

2.2.2 Pay scales

Details of the rates of pay for these various groups of staff are available from the Salary Scales website. Revisions to the scales are normally posted on notice boards within each department,  on the Payroll website or details may be obtained from your Departmental Administrator.

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