Information for staff about industrial action

Strike action is a form of industrial action where employees refuse to work. A trade union must follow certain legal rules for a strike to be official. This includes holding a ballot for members to vote.

In cases of strike action, the University of York will withhold/stop a day’s pay for each day the employee does not work. 

Any pay withheld would be calculated on the basis of 1/365 th of an employee’s salary. The full notional salary as defined in employee's contract will be used to calculate the amount of pay to be withdrawn.

Action Short of a Strike (ASOS) includes all forms of industrial action which do not amount to a strike.

We recognise that the decision to take industrial action is not taken lightly and we respect colleagues' right to take part.

If these actions do not constitute a breach of contract, then pay will not be affected. However, the University does not accept partial performance, and staff who are at work are expected to prioritise essential work and comply with the obligation to work in an efficient manner.

If there is a failure to undertake reasonable duties, the University reserves the right to withhold pay. Further details can be found at section 4.3 of the Managing Industrial Action policy.

Action short of a strike may consist of:

• Working to contract
• Not covering for absent colleagues
• Removing uploaded materials related to, and/or not sharing materials related to, lecturers or classes that will be or have been cancelled as a result of strike action
• Not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action
• Not undertaking any voluntary activities
• Undertaking a marking and assessment boycott (note that this aspect of ASOS is not currently live)

We recognise the strength of concerns over pay and conditions and that a decision to participate in industrial action is not taken lightly.

However, our immediate priority must be to minimise disruption for our students and staff, and we will follow the University's established policy on managing industrial action.

We will monitor the likely impact of action being taken and work with departments and students to develop contingency plans to minimise disruption.

These are national-level negotiations, but we continue to do all that we can to influence the debate. To find out more, read the article A shared perspective on pay and conditions written by VC Charlie Jeffery and the UCU York Executive Committee explaining how we can jointly seek a way forward on pay and conditions (WonkHE, June 2023).

No. Only staff taking part in the industrial action need to inform HR of intended or actual participation in any industrial action.

We do not know which staff are members of UCU, and so we will be emailing all staff to explain the reporting arrangements.

If you are not participating in industrial action you can ignore emails with reporting instructions.

If you will be absent from work but want to take part in industrial action, please ensure that you report your intention.

If you are absent from work for other reasons, for example you are on holiday or sick leave, please ensure that you follow the normal authorisation/reporting procedures so there is no confusion within your department as to the nature of your absence.

The University is under an obligation to mitigate the impact of industrial action on students and will try as far as possible to maintain students’ learning. This could include asking colleagues to substitute where appropriate.

The Student Centre, part of our campus modernisation programme, is something that students have been asking for over many years. It will significantly enhance the overall student experience, including the teaching and learning experience.

To be able to afford to undertake these infrastructure programmes, the University has taken out long-term loans, which is normal practice. These loans are a bit like a mortgage, which we will pay back over 20-30 years. We will pay interest on these loans, but our students will get value from the Student Centre and other campus modernisation for 60 years and beyond.

We cannot take out long-term loans to pay for operating costs, of which wages are one. If we did, the pay rise would have interest on it for the next 30 years, as would any subsequent pay rises.

We have to deal with pay on an operational basis, allocating pay and any increases to it, from the money coming into the University. We must balance the money that comes in on an operational basis, with what goes out, otherwise the University runs out of cash and into a deficit.

While we are entitled to ask staff if they intend to participate in industrial action, we recognise that staff are not obliged to notify us until the action commences. Please refer to emails sent to all staff by HR, which include information about reporting your participation in industrial action. If you're unsure, please email hr-enquiries@york.ac.uk.

We need to make you aware of the consequences of taking part in industrial action. Following University policy, this means:

Strike action: we will withhold a day's pay (1/365th of salary) for each day you participate in strike action.

Action short of a strike: if your actions do not constitute a breach of contract, then your pay will not be affected. However, the University does not accept partial performance, and we expect staff who are at work to prioritise essential work and comply with the obligation to work in an efficient manner. We will monitor the nature of action being taken and, if we consider that there is a failure to undertake reasonable duties, we reserve the right to withhold pay. The exact response to any level of action, including the right to withhold pay and the amount of pay that may be withheld, will be considered when the specific detail and likely impact are known.

More information about the policies and procedures for taking industrial action can be found on the HR website.

The rules differ for participation in action short of a strike (ASOS) and strike days, depending on which pension scheme you are a member of, as explained below:

USS

ASOS

There is no impact on pension contributions where an employee participates in ASOS which the University does not consider to be a breach of contract. Full pay would be maintained and normal pension contributions would be paid by both the employee and the University.

If an employee participates in ASOS which the University considers to be a breach of contract and withholds a percentage of an employee’s pay, then both the employee’s pension contributions and the University’s pension contributions will be based on the actual (lower) pay received. This will mean that the pension you build up on those days would be lower than it would otherwise have been if you had not participated in the ASOS.

For example, if an employee taking part in ASOS receives 75% of their normal pay because the University has withheld 25% due to undertaking ASOS which the University considers to be a breach of contract, then both the employee’s contributions and the University’s contributions will be made on the 75% of pay received.

We are awaiting confirmation from USS as to what impact the partial withholding of pay on any days of ASOS would have on the death benefits payable and will update this guidance in due course.

Strike days

You can choose to maintain your pension contributions to USS in respect of any day(s) spent on strike if you want to, and if you choose to do so, then the University will maintain its contributions in respect of those days too.

However, accompanying this is a requirement that the University must have your consent to continue your employee contributions in respect of days you are on strike. Without your consent, we cannot make deductions for your contributions and we cannot make our employer contributions. This means that if you do not agree to continue making your employee contributions, you will not accrue benefits in the scheme for the days when you are on strike, although you will still be covered for death in service and incapacity benefits on those days, as long as the total period of absence does not exceed 31 days.

By default, if you participate in the strike but do not confirm on the participation form that you wish to maintain your contributions, your contributions will be suspended. Death in service and incapacity benefits will remain in place for scheme members regardless of whether pension contributions are being made for the days spent on strike as long as the total period of absence does not exceed 31 days. The USS Trustee has reserved the right to review their position on maintaining the provision of death in service and incapacity cover during strike days where no contributions are paid.

University of York Pension Fund

ASOS

There is no impact on pension contributions where an employee participates in ASOS which the University does not consider to be a breach of contract. Full pay would be maintained and normal pension contributions would be paid by both the employee and the University.

If an employee participates in ASOS which the University considers to be a breach of contract and withholds a percentage of an employee’s pay, then both the employee’s pension contributions and the University’s pension contributions will be based on the normal (full) pay that would have usually been received. This will mean that the pension you build up on those days would be unaffected by participating in the ASOS.

For example, if an employee taking part in ASOS receives 75% of their normal pay because the University has withheld 25% due to undertaking ASOS which the University considers to be a breach of contract, then both the employee’s contributions and the University’s contributions will be made on the 100% of pay that would have usually been received.

You do have the choice to fully suspend your pension contributions on days where pay is partially withheld due to ASOS and further information on how to do this will be provided at the time.

Should you die while participating in ASOS for any days where pay is withheld, as pension contributions would be maintained at their full rate, the usual death in service lump sum would be payable. This would be three times your actual salary as at your date of death, unless you are aged 65 or over, in which case it would be five times your accrued annual pension. Any dependant’s benefits due would also be paid at their usual rate.

Strike days

If you are a member of the University of York Pension Fund and participate in strike action, then you will continue to pay the contributions that you would have paid were it not for participating in the strike action (including any AVCs). You will build up membership in the normal way and be covered for death in service benefits should you die while taking strike action.

You can choose not to pay pension contributions for the period that you are participating in strike action. If you choose not to pay contributions for the day(s) that you participate in strike action, you will not build up membership of the scheme. If you are paying added years AVCs, these payments will permanently cease and you will not have any opportunity to restart those payments again in the future. Your added years AVC membership would be calculated pro-rata. You will still be treated as an active member for the purposes of calculating any death benefits, including any death in service lump sum.

By default, if you participate in the strike but do not confirm that you wish to suspend your contributions, your contributions will be maintained.

When completing the participation form, you will be asked whether you want to make pension contributions in respect of days when you are on strike, or not.

NHS Pension Scheme

ASOS

There is no impact on pension contributions where an employee participates in ASOS which the University does not consider to be a breach of contract. Full pay would be maintained and normal pension contributions would be paid by both the employee and the University.

If an employee participates in ASOS which the University considers to be a breach of contract and withholds a percentage of an employee’s pay, then neither the employee nor the University will pay pension contributions for the full day. This will mean that the pension you build up would be lower than it would otherwise have been if you had not participated in the ASOS.

For example if an employee taking part in ASOS receives 75% of their normal pay because the University has withheld 25% due to undertaking ASOS which the University considers to be a breach of contract, then both the employee and the University will make 0% contributions on those days.

Should you die while participating in ASOS for any days where no pension contributions are paid, you would still be treated as an active member of the scheme for the purposes of calculating death benefits, so a death in service lump sum would still be payable. This would be two times your pay received during the previous year. The death in service lump sum would therefore be marginally smaller than it otherwise would have been because of no contributions being paid during any days where ASOS was taken which the University considered to be a breach of contract. Any dependant’s benefits payable would also be slightly lower than would otherwise be the case because of the impact of the reduced membership.

Strike days

If you are a member of NHS Pensions and participate in strike action, the NHS Pension Scheme does not allow you to pay pension contributions in respect of the days spent on strike. In the NHS Pension Scheme, strike days are non-pensionable and no membership is built up in the scheme.

Should you die while participating in strike action, you would still be treated as an active member of the scheme for the purposes of calculating death benefits, so a death in service lump sum would still be payable. This would be two times your pay received during the previous year. The death in service lump sum would therefore be marginally smaller than it otherwise would have been because of no contributions being paid during any strike days. Any dependant’s benefits payable would also be slightly lower than would otherwise be the case because of the impact of the reduced membership.

The People’s Pension (TPP)

ASOS

There is no impact on pension contributions where an employee participates in ASOS which the University does not consider to be a breach of contract. Full pay would be maintained and normal pension contributions would be paid by both the employee and the University.

If an employee participates in ASOS which the University considers to be a breach of contract and withholds a percentage of an employee’s pay, then both the employee’s pension contributions and the University’s pension contributions will be based on the actual (lower) pay received. This will mean that your pension pot will be smaller than it would otherwise have been if you had not participated in the ASOS.

For example if an employee taking part in ASOS receives 75% of their normal pay because the University has withheld 25% due to undertaking ASOS which the University considers to be a breach of contract, then both the employee’s contributions and the University’s contributions will be made on the 75% of pay received.

The death in service cover provided by TPP will be the same irrespective of whether or not you receive lower pay as a result of ASOS which the University considers to be a breach of contract.

Strike days

If you are contributing to TPP and participate in strike action, then neither you nor the University will pay contributions in respect of any days for which you are on strike. This will mean that your pension pot will be smaller than it would otherwise have been if you had not participated in the strike action. The death in service cover provided by TPP will be the same irrespective of whether or not you are on strike.

Picketing involves peacefully persuading other staff members of the reasons why individuals are taking industrial action and encouraging colleagues to also go on strike. Picketing is a way of communicating information and usually includes the use of picket signs, the distribution of leaflets and open dialogue.

The use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour (including terms like 'scab') is not typical at the University and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Pickets will generally gather at, or near, the main entrances of the University buildings across all campuses and will usually be present to cover the busy periods of staff arrival times, ie mornings.

In no circumstances does a picket have power to require people to stop, or to compel them to listen or to do what the picket asks them to do. A person who decides to cross a picket line must be allowed to do so.

To cross a picket line simply means to go to work and not participate in strike action.

All staff attending work during periods of industrial action should expect to be able to go about their business in the same way they would on any given day. However, alternative entrances around campus mean it may not be necessary for staff members to pass pickets to get to the place of work.

Picketing can only be undertaken lawfully by:

• a worker employed by the employer who is party to the dispute;
• a worker who has lost their job for a reason connected to the dispute;
• a Trade Union official picketing with the members that they represent.

Anyone who does not fall into one of the above categories will not be picketing lawfully - visitors to the picket lines are welcome to talk to those picketing but should only be there briefly.

Trade unions should not encourage others not party to the dispute to join a picket line, this includes students.

All pickets must be supervised by a Trade Union official (or an appointed member of the Trade Union) to ensure that picketing is conducted peacefully and in line with relevant legislation and best practice.

The picket supervisor will be identifiable, normally through the wearing of an armband, badge or tabard.

In the unlikely event of any concerning behaviour, the picket supervisor can be approached at the time. You can also report the matter by speaking to the HR department, your line manager or a member of the security team.

Peaceful picketing does not include:

• the blocking of entrances to premises or physically barring the passage of people or vehicles;
• violent, disorderly or unruly behaviour;
• using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour;
• damaging property;
• trespassing on private property.

Such actions will be reported as is appropriate, which may include to the Security team and/ or the police.

The University expects that all staff members, regardless of opinion towards the industrial action, remain polite and courteous to each other and respect each other's views.

In the same way that picketers are not allowed to use threatening or abusive words or behaviour towards staff members not on strike, staff either not involved in the industrial action or who have chosen not to go on strike must not use threatening or abusive words or behaviour towards picketers.

Only University staff members affected by the dispute can participate in strike action and picketing.

Students or other supporters will not be able to join the picket lines, but you will be able to show your support through other means. You can approach the picket lines to engage with staff and let them know that you support them, but the legal guidelines on who can join a picket mean that you cannot remain beyond a brief period of discussion.

Students who are also University of York employees, but not employees of a subsidiary, ie YCL, and who are not a member of either UNISON or Unite, are able to strike and/ or join the picket line.

Individuals with student status only must not join the picket line and have no lawful right to do so.

It may be helpful for you to discuss your concerns with your manager in the first instance.

The University has a network of trained mental health first aiders and provides support for staff through the employee assistance programme provided by Health Assured by telephone on 0800 028 0199, online on the Health Assured website (Username: University, password: York) and through the My Healthy Advantage app.

The University and Departments will review the impact of industrial action, and will make arrangements to mitigate the effects on students wherever possible.

Where there is industrial action, mitigations might include rescheduling teaching, providing complementary teaching, supporting learning in other ways and making adjustments to assessment, or assigning alternative, well-qualified markers, if necessary.

Based on lessons learnt and experience from previous periods of industrial action, the University works very closely with the most heavily affected departments to explore activities and contingencies we can put in place to minimise the impact of industrial action.  

If students need support for their personal wellbeing, please see our student health and wellbeing pages for sources of help, advice and support.

This is for all students (undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate researchers).

Graduate teaching assistants should also refer to the information for staff for questions relating specifically to their employment.

Once the boycott is live from Thursday 20 April 2023, UCU members have been asked by UCU to cease undertaking all summative marking and associated assessment activities/duties. This includes:

• Marking, moderating, providing feedback on coursework, exams or other types of summative (not formative) formal assessment
• Posting, releasing, uploading marks or feedback
• Attending/engaging in exam boards or any other meeting or forum related to marking and assessment
• Preparing marking materials
• Administration related to marking

UCU states that:

‘In the case of formative assessment which does not contribute to the award or classification of any degree, certificate, diploma etc., and which does not contribute to decisions about the suitability of students to continue/progress with their studies, members can provide general support but should not provide any feedback from which any mark for summative assessments could be reasonably deduced.’

The marking and assessment boycott begins on Thursday 20 April 2023.

The marking and assessment boycott will then carry on until the disputes are settled, or UCU calls off the boycott, or at the end of the industrial action ballot mandate (usually six months after the industrial action ballot closes).

Yes, pay will be withheld if you have, or it is believed that you have, participated in the marking and assessment boycott. 

In respect of participation, the University has made the decision to withhold all pay and then make a discretionary payment equivalent to 50% of pay during the boycott period. The University reserves the right to increase or decrease this discretionary payment as it assesses the impact of the boycott.

The amount of pay withheld will be based on the number of working days (Monday to Friday) in the period when someone is participating in the marking and assessment boycott.

For each working day in the period, 50% of one 365th of your annual salary will be withheld.

Pay will not be withheld for working days when you are on leave. If you participate in the boycott we will contact you to confirm any leave you have taken.

The University policy ‘Management of industrial action’ outlines our position. Legally an employee is obliged to carry out all their duties and implied duties arising from their contract of employment. If you choose to take part in selective industrial action short of full strike, ie partial performance of these duties, you are refusing to undertake their full contractual duties and are therefore in breach of your contract. The University of York does not accept partial performance and will deal with any such action using the same principle as strike action ie staff will not receive contractual pay.

This is for all employees, so includes any member of staff or graduate teaching assistants participating in the boycott.

The withholding of pay will be applied from the marking completion deadline. This means that salary deductions will be made as follows to individuals where:

• Marking fails to be submitted on the notified, department determined, completion deadline date (with no good reason and where there is a good reason this has been agreed in advance with the HoD).
• Marking was not completed by you and you were the person to which it was originally allocated and made available to and there is no good reason for this other than participation in the Marking and Assessment Boycott. As above if there is a good reason, this must be agreed in advance with the HoD.
• Where an individual has completed the self-declaration to notify HR that they are participating in the Marking and Assessment Boycott.

Pay will continue to be withheld until UCU ends this form of ASOS, the employee uses the ‘marking and assessment boycott participation form’ to notify HR that they are withdrawing from participation in the Marking and Assessment Boycott, or HR is made aware that there is no longer any marking/assessment available.

Please note that in circumstances where you do not complete marking and you were the person to whom it was originally allocated and made available to (and there is no good reason for this other than participation in the Marking and Assessment Boycott), but a colleague is reallocated the marking and completes it by the marking completion deadline, you will still have a period of pay deduction. As outlined above this will be applied from the marking completion deadline and will be determined under the advisement of the Head of Department and relate to the nature and volume of marking.

Deduction ‘pause’ to allow review of the impact of the Marking and Assessment Boycott

As noted in the email from Helen Selvidge, Assistant Director of HR, on 30 May, there will be a temporary ‘pause’ of salary deductions for the Marking and Assessment Boycott between 23 June and 14 August inclusive. This is to review the impact and position of the University before commencing the process again.

At the beginning of each month HR will review Marking and Assessment Boycott participation for the previous month, specifically they'll be looking at participation from the 1st to the end of the previous month. HR will liaise with departments in order to check and validate the data as required, for example, to establish when the deadline for assessment/marking was. Once this has been done any new participants in that month will be contacted and advised of the start date of salary deductions. Should those colleagues believe there to be an error they must make contact with HR (using the email address in the letter). However, please be advised that past a certain point in the month corrections might not be able to be picked up prior to the payroll run. Please note the payroll deadlines outlined below:

In order for pay to be reinstated you must notify HR of your intention to withdraw from participation in the Marking and Assessment Boycott. In order to do this you should use the ‘marking and assessment boycott participation form’. Note that this is the same form to the one you should use to declare to HR that you are participating in the Marking and Assessment Boycott.

Yes, UCU has advised their members that ‘If you are asked directly whether you participated in ASOS in the past or are participating in it now (whatever the time frame, be it last week, yesterday, or today) you should respond truthfully’.

Further to Rachael Millhouse’s email on 12 May, note that the University has decided to decouple the department process for notification of participation in the boycott from the HR processes which are used to inform pay. 

It is likely departments will continue to allocate and make marking available to you in the same way that they have since the commencement of the boycott. In other words they are likely to ask you if you are ‘Accepting the task’ or ‘Refusing the task (as you are participating in the Marking and Assessment Boycott). They are also likely to continue to ask you to respond within a specific time frame in order that marking can be reallocated where possible. 

However, departments will not share with HR names of individuals who haven’t completed marking (believed/understood to be because of participation in the Marking and Assessment Boycott)  until after the notified marking completion deadline has been passed.

Additionally, from now on, HR will send out to all staff on a weekly basis the marking and assessment boycott participation form. This will ask you to ‘self-declare’ should you have participated or are currently participating in the Marking and Assessment Boycott. Where a declaration has not been received but it is evident from department information that an individual has or is believed to have participated in the Marking and Assessment Boycott, individuals will be prompted to complete the form in the first instance.

If you have booked leave, you experience a period of sickness or are absent from work for another authorised reason, we would advise that you ensure that the Student Services Manager/Department Administrator (whoever is coordinating the allocation and dissemination of marking/assessment in your department) of the dates so that it can be noted. 

Should you have any authorised absence eg annual, paternity, sickness etc during a period of participation in the marking and assessment boycott you will be reinstated to full contractual pay (if applicable). 

We will periodically be checking which staff are participating in the boycott and at that point you will be asked to supply details of any leave you have taken during the period on the form provided to ensure your pay is correctly calculated.

Note: This information has been updated (3 May 2023). Information published here prior to 25 April 2023 may have been inaccurate/incomplete, and should not be relied upon.

See also: information below about the impact on benefits, and information further down this page about impact on your pension of taking strike action and other action short of a strike.

The impact of participating in the marking and assessment boycott on your pension contributions will depend on which scheme you are a member of. The information below is based on our current understanding of each scheme’s rules but may be subject to revision as more information becomes available.

Whichever pension scheme you’re a member of, you can contact the Pensions Team (pensions@york.ac.uk) for more information if you have specific questions not answered here about how participation in the marking and assessment boycott could affect your pension contributions.

USS, The University of York Pension Fund and The People’s Pension

Both you and the University would pay pension contributions based on your actual income. This means that the amount being paid to your pension would be lower during any period when you participate in the marking and assessment boycott.

You can choose to maintain your pension contributions at your usual higher rate in respect of any day(s) spent participating in the marking and assessment boycott if you want to, and if you choose to do so, then the University has agreed that it will maintain its contributions at the usual, higher rate in respect of those days too.

The University needs your consent to continue your employee contributions at the higher rate in respect of days when you are in receipt of a lower income. By default, if you participate in the marking and assessment boycott but do not confirm on the participation form that you wish to maintain your contributions at the higher rate, your contributions will be made only on the lower pay received.

Both the University and the USS Trustee reserves the right to review their position regarding maintaining contributions at the usual, higher rate and we will provide further information if this changes.

Please read below for further, scheme specific, information.

USS

A salary threshold is currently in place in USS of £41,004. Contributions made on income below the threshold go to the defined benefit section of USS (the “Retirement Income Builder”) whilst contributions above the threshold go to the defined contribution section of USS (the “Investment Builder”). Any reduction in your income as a result of your participation in the marking and assessment boycott may take your income below the salary threshold, meaning neither you nor the University contributes to the Investment Builder section of USS. If you don’t choose to maintain your contributions at your usual, higher rate now, it is possible for you to voluntarily increase your contributions at a later date to make up any shortfall in contributions to the Investment Builder section of USS. Note that these would not be matched by an increase in employer contributions. To do this, log into your My USS online account and follow the online process to increase your contributions. It is not possible to repay missing contributions to the Retirement Income Builder section of USS at a later date if you choose not to maintain your contributions at your usual, higher rate now.

You are not able to reduce the level of your pension contributions to USS below the standard rate of 9.80% so cannot choose to pay less during your participation in the marking and assessment boycott. You are able to withdraw from contributing to USS if you want to maximise your income during any period when it is reduced. If you have been a member of USS for three months or more, you need to give 28 days notice in order to withdraw from USS. The notice period expires at the end of the month in which the 28th day of notice occurs. For example, if you complete the form to withdraw from USS on 15 May, your 28 day notice period expires on 11 June. You would therefore continue to pay pension contributions until 30 June, with the withdrawal becoming effective from 1 July. If you want to consider withdrawing from USS, please contact the Pensions Team (pensions@york.ac.uk) for more information and a copy of the relevant form. You are strongly encouraged to take financial advice before withdrawing from your pension arrangement. You are currently able to ask to rejoin USS in the future if you do decide to withdraw. To rejoin, simply email a request to the Pensions Team.

The University of York Pension Fund

If you are currently contributing to CRB Tier 1, you are paying contributions of 7% and your employer is paying 16%. You are able to reduce your contributions by changing to CRB Tier 2 if you want to maximise your income during any period when it is reduced. Moving into CRB Tier 2 would reduce your contributions to 6% and your employer’s to 13%. Your pension would build up at a lower rate during any period when you were a member of CRB Tier 2. To change which Tier you contribute to, just complete this form. The changes will be made from the next available pay period. 

You are able to opt out of contributing to the University of York Pension Fund if you want to maximise your income during any period when it is reduced. You need to give one month’s notice in order to opt out of the University of York Pension Fund. If you want to consider opting out of the University of York Pension Fund, please contact the Pensions Team (pensions@york.ac.uk) for more information and a copy of the relevant form. You are strongly encouraged to take financial advice before opting out of your pension arrangement. If you do choose to opt out of the University of York Pension Fund, you can choose to contribute to The People’s Pension instead, meaning that you still build up some pension benefits and still receive a pension contribution from your employer. You are able to ask to rejoin the University of York Pension Fund in the future if you do decide to opt out, as long as you continue to meet all of the entry criteria. To rejoin, simply email a request to the Pensions Team. 

The People’s Pension

You are able to reduce your contributions to The People’s Pension or opt out for a time if you want to maximise your income during any period when it is reduced. You will need to contact The People’s Pension directly if you wish to opt out of the scheme. You are strongly encouraged to take financial advice before opting out of your pension arrangement.

You are also able to increase your contributions to The People’s Pension in the future if you choose not to maintain your contributions at their usual, higher rate now. Note that the maximum that your employer contributes to The People’s Pension is 10%.

To increase or decrease your contributions to The People’s Pension, just complete this form. The changes will be made from the next available pay period. Find more information about the contribution rates to The People’s Pension.

NHS Pensions

Members of NHS Pensions should contact the Pensions Team (pensions@york.ac.uk) for more information about how their pension contributions could be affected by participating in the marking and assessment boycott.

Whilst we appreciate that some staff may wish to show their support for colleagues participating in the marking and assessment boycott, it is a reasonable expectation that those staff who are not participating in the boycott would undertake these duties if they have the necessary skills and experience to do so. This is because there is an expectation, under the contract of employment, that a member of staff would carry out such work as directed and necessary. 

It would further be expected that there would be a conversation between the employee and their line manager regarding priorities to ensure that the employee is not being expected to take on excessive workloads when being given additional marking. We hope therefore that when marking is being reallocated to staff this can be done is a way which prioritises workload. 

Although the refusal to take on additional/re-allocated marking if there is capacity to do so, could be deemed as participation in the Marking and Assessment Boycott, we have decided at University of York not to treat it as participation and therefore deductions will not apply.

No - participation in the marking and assessment boycott will not affect probation or PDRs.

June 2023

• Email to staff from the VC, 30 June 2023
• Email to staff from the VC and UCU York Executive Committee, 28 June 2023

May 2023

• Email to staff from HR 30 May 2023
• Email to staff from Rachael Millhouse, Director of HR, 12 May 2023
• Reply to open letter from UoY UCU Executive Committee 10 May 2023 from Charlie Jeffery, Vice Chancellor
• Reply to open letter 3 May 2023 from Charlie Jeffery, Vice Chancellor

April 2023

• Email to staff from Charlie Jeffery, Vice Chancellor, 18 April 2023
• Email to PGRs from Charlie Jeffery, Vice Chancellor, 18 April 2023
• Email to staff from Rachael Millhouse, Director of HR, 18 April 2023

March 2023

• Email to staff and PGRs from Charlie Jeffery, Vice Chancellor, 22 March 2023
• Email to staff and PGRs from Charlie Jeffery, Vice Chancellor, 16 March 2023
• Email to staff and PGRs from Charlie Jeffery, Vice Chancellor, 1 March 2023

February 2023

• Email to staff and PGRs from Charlie Jeffery, Vice Chancellor, 20 February 2023
• Email to staff from Helen Selvidge, Assistant Director of HR, 10 February 2023

January 2023

• Email to staff 27 January 2023 from Helen Selvidge, Assistant Director of HR
• Email to staff and PGRs 25 January 2023 from Charlie Jeffery, Vice-Chancellor
• Email to staff and PGRs 19 January 2023 from Charlie Jeffery, Vice-Chancellor

December 2022

• Email to staff 1 December 2022

November 2022

• Email to staff 17 November 2022
• Email to staff from the Vice-Chancellor 9 November 2022

April 2022

• Email to staff from the Vice-Chancellor 25 April 2022

March 2022

• Email to staff from the Interim Head of HR Operations 15 March 2022
• VC response to signatories of an Open Letter 16 March 2022
• Email to staff from the Director of HR 8 March 2022
• Email to staff from the Interim Head of HR Operations 3 March 2022

February 2022

• Email to staff from the Interim Head of HR Operations 17 February 2022
• Email to staff from the Interim Head of HR Operations 8 February 2022

January 2022

• Email to staff from the Vice-Chancellor 28 January 2022
• Email to staff from the Interim Head of HR Operations 5 January 2022

December 2021

• Email to staff from the Interim Head of HR Operations 6 December 2021

November 2021

• Email to staff from the Interim Head of HR Operations 24 November 2021
• Email to staff from the Vice-Chancellor 17 November 2021
• YUSU industrial action roundtable 15 November 2021
• Email to staff from the Vice-Chancellor 5 November 2021

October 2021

• Email to staff from the Vice-Chancellor 14 October 2021