Pay and conditions programme
Shifting the dial on how the university invests in its people.
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Background
The programme was established following an independent review commissioned by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey, in 2023. The review considered pay and benefits, as well as the experience of staff working at Oxford, including wellbeing, development, work-life balance, housing and transport.
It recognised that people are critical to Oxford's ongoing success and that the University must continue to attract, retain and support talented people from the UK and around the world. The review also identified challenges around the high cost of living in Oxford, changing expectations of work, and fairness, transparency and consistency in pay and benefits.
In May 2024, University Council approved approximately £129 million of investment over five years to begin implementing the recommendations through a phased programme of work.
The first phase of the programme has delivered significant changes to pay, benefits, and working conditions across the University.
What has been delivered so far?
Updates and next steps
Measuring impact
The University is continuing to evaluate whether the changes introduced through the programme are having the intended impact. Between the 2023 and 2025 Staff Experience Surveys, positive responses about the fairness of pay increased by 8 percentage points, while satisfaction with the University's overall benefits package increased by 5 percentage points. These are early indicators, but they show a positive trajectory, particularly as most of the initiatives listed above hadn’t been introduced at the time of the survey.
The University will continue to use evidence, staff feedback and evaluation to understand the impact of the changes made.
Looking ahead
The Pay and Conditions Review recognised that its recommendations were a starting point and that longer-term work would be needed to realise its ambitions. With the initial phase of implementation substantially complete, the programme is moving into its next phase. This will build on the changes already made and address the longer-term structural issues identified through the Review, continuing to develop the University's approach to pay and conditions. Future work will continue to be informed by evidence, staff feedback and evaluation, while taking account of the University's long-term academic and financial sustainability.
More information about the Pay & Conditions Review
For more information about the Review, you can watch the Vice-Chancellor's May 2024 announcement about the University's response to the Review.