You will probably remember that the University adopted a new Fixed Term Contracts and Casual Working Policy back in November 2019, which aimed to reduce the use of fixed term contract / casual contracts by Lancaster University, and increase the use of indefinite contracts.
Implementation of the policy has been severely delayed by personnel changes in at the University, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Discussion between the Trade Unions and the University have re-started over the last few weeks, and the implementation of the policy is now going ahead.
Here is a brief summary of where things are at:
- All new contracts issued AFTER 1 Aug 2020 will adhere to the new policy (i.e. they will be indefinite unless they meet one of the strict criteria for continuing to use fixed term contracts). This is likely to include what would have been extensions to fixed term contracts – please contact us if you think your new contract or contract extension has not been issued in accordance with the criteria.
- Some indefinite contracts will remain linked to ‘temporary elements’ – this usually means funding. New indefinite contracts will contain a clause stating that the contract is linked to a temporary element and may be at risk of redundancy in the future. Details of any prospective end date and other information regarding the temporary element will be provided in a document which is supplementary to the contract.
- Unions are hopeful that Graduate Teaching Assistants (currently employed on an ad-hoc, casual, basis) will be offered fixed term contracts before the start of the teaching year, but conversation about this are still in progress.
In addition, there are a group of staff on fixed term contracts with end dates between Oct 2020 and Jan 2021 that are caught in the ‘transition’ between the old policy and the new policy. In the coming months HR will be in contact with a ‘dual track’ process. They will write to you to explain that your current fixed term contract is coming to an end, AND they will also write to you and offer to move you to an indefinite contract (which is linked to the same time limited criteria as your current fixed term contract). We appreciate that this approach is likely to be confusing, and unless a genuine reason for extending your contract is identified (e.g. extension to funding) it will still come to an end. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything we can do to prevent that.
We know that your contract coming to an end can be a very disorientating and disheartening time. However, we would ask any members in this transitional group to please accept the ‘offer’ of an indefinite contract. The process is very light touch, and has no negative impact on you whatsoever – it does, however, have a wider benefit to Trade Unions, and by extension to all our members: when the University brings a fixed term contract to an end, that redundancy goes unreported. When the University brings an indefinite contract to an end, it will be reported, and if the University makes more than 20 posts redundant in a 90 day period it triggers a legal process whereby both the government and trade unions must be informed, and the trade unions must be consulted with. If we are consulted with, we are in a stronger position to put counter-arguments against the ending of contracts.
If you have any questions at all about this, please get in touch at unison@lancaster.ac.uk, or post a question in our Members’ Team.