An update on future promotion and pay schemes.

In May 2024, we committed to revisiting our pay and promotion schemes from September 2024 onwards, after we had a better understanding of the outcomes from our recent financial measures.

We can now confirm the following pay awards and promotions schemes will be actioned.

National pay award

UCEA, which negotiates pay levels nationally on behalf of around 140 universities, offered a final pay offer to trade unions of between 2.5% to 5.7% uplift for the 2024/25 year. This increase is higher for those who earn less.

The increase is in two parts:

  • £900 onto full time annual salaries for everyone on all spine points, starting 1 August 2024. This will be applied in the October payroll, backdated to 1 August.
  • The rest of the increase, depending on your pay level, will be paid 1 March 2025.
    • £300 onto full time annual salaries for spine points 5 to 22
    • £250 onto full time annual salaries for spine points 23 to 37
    • the balance of 2.5% from spine points 38 upwards

Academic Promotion

The new Academic Promotions criteria and processes will be made available to staff via our dedicated web pages in November 2024. The application window will open in March 2025 for promotions effective in 2025-26.

The new webpages will contain information for staff on the new criteria, the updated policy and timeline and will allow individuals to start working on an application.

Professorial Promotion

The Academic Promotions Criteria review project is currently reviewing the professorial promotion criteria. The intention is to be able to move the criteria and processes (including timelines) into line with academic promotions, launching in March 2025 for decisions effective in 2025-26.

The new criteria is expected to be available in February 2025, but Professorial staff will be able to access the new promotions webpages from November 2024 to understand the new policy and process.

Professorial Pay Review

The next round will open in June 2025 for decisions effective in 2025-26.

Rewarding Excellence

The next round will open to a slightly delayed timetable, opening in December 2024 for outcomes effective 1 March 2025.

 

More specific communications will be sent out as appropriate in advance of each scheme opening as outlined above.