Terms and conditions of employment
Find out about the terms and conditions of employment of working at Oxford.
What We Offer
As an employee of the University of Oxford, you will enjoy a wide range of benefits, including 38 days’ paid annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays; with the option to purchase additional days), membership of a generous pension scheme, family-friendly policies, access to childcare services, and opportunities for flexible and hybrid working. You will have access to the University Club and sports facilities, professional development, and a vibrant academic and cultural environment.
Terms and conditions
Salary
Your starting salary will reflect your qualifications and experience. University salary scales are reviewed at a national level on 1 August each year. The University also pays its employees an Oxford University Weighting which is currently set at £1,730 per year. For details of the University’s current salary scales, which include the Oxford University weighting, visit our salary scales. The OUW applies to all staff with the exception of those on clinical grades.
For professorial roles the salary will be determined after consultation.
For all other academic roles the grade and full-time salary range for the role will be detailed in the advertisement and the job description and person specification document. If the post you are applying for is part-time the salary will be pro-rata to the number of hours you work. Your salary will normally be automatically increased by one point on the salary scale each year (subject to completing three months service) until the maximum point for the grade is reached.
Hours of work
Non-clinical academic staff (including Professors) are able to determine the duration of their own working time in accordance with the terms of the Working Time Regulation 1998.
The hours for Clinical academic staff (including Professors) are such as are required to carry out their duties to the satisfaction of the Medical Sciences Board.
Employer Justified Retirement Age (EJRA) for academic and related appointments
The University operates an Employer Justified Retirement Age (EJRA) of 30 September before the 70th birthday for academic posts (Professors and Associate Professors) and for very senior research posts (at grade RSIV and clinical equivalents E62 and E82).
Pension Schemes
Eligible staff may join the Universities Superannuation Scheme. Details are available on the website at https://finance.admin.ox.ac.uk/uss
Details for clinical staff on NHSPS pensions are available at https://finance.admin.ox.ac.uk/expenditure-and-purchasing-landing-page
Probationary Period
The appointment for academic staff (excluding Professors) is subject to satisfactory completion of a probationary period. The length of the probationary period will be set out in your contract of employment.
Holiday
Non-clinical academic staff (including Professors) are entitled to a minimum of 28 days paid annual leave inclusive of all public holidays.
Clinical academic staff (including Professors) are entitled to a maximum of six weeks annual leave per year.
For part-time posts the holiday entitlement is pro-rata.
Further information can be obtained from the recruiting department.
Sick Pay
Depending on length of service, employees who are absent from work through sickness or injury may be entitled to payment at the rate of full salary, for a period, through the University’s sick pay scheme.
For further details visit: https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/sickness-absence
Family Leave Schemes
The University offers a set of enhanced family leave benefits from day 1 of employment. This includes:
- enhanced contractual maternity and adoption leave schemes provide new mothers and adoptive parents with primary care responsibility, who meet the eligibility criteria, with up to 52 weeks leave. This is made of up to 26 weeks full paid leave, up to a further 13 weeks leave on statutory benefits, and up to 13 weeks unpaid leave.
- enhanced Shared Parental Leave which gives the option for parents to share up to 50 weeks of the maternity/adoption leave and pay entitlement with their partner.
- additional Paternity/Partner Leave which provides up to 10 weeks of paid leave to eligible new fathers/partners of new mothers/adopters to supplement the 2 weeks of statutory paternity leave.
- up to 12 weeks of Neonatal care leave, paid at full pay, where parents of a newborn child need to take time off whilst they are in neonatal care.
Related Links
Pre Employment Screening
How to Apply
CV and Supporting Statement
Preparing for an Interview
Salary
The grade and full-time salary range for the role will be detailed in the advertisement and the job description and selection criteria document. If the post you are applying for is part-time the salary will be pro-rata to the number of hours you work.
Your starting salary will reflect your qualifications and experience. University salary scales are reviewed at a national level on 1 August each year. The University also pays its employees an Oxford University Weighting which is currently set at £1,730 per year. For details of the University’s current salary scales, which include the Oxford University weighting, visit https://finance.admin.ox.ac.uk/salary-scales. The OUW applies to all staff with the exception of those on clinical grades.
Grades 6 - 10: your salary will normally be automatically increased by one point on the salary scale on 1 October each year (subject to completing three months service) until you have reached the normal maximum ('scale bar') for the grade. Increases beyond this point may be available in certain cases as there is also a small ‘discretionary range’ for each grade.
RSIV: your starting salary will be agreed on an individual basis, taking into consideration the role and your skills and experience.
Hours of Work
Staff on academic-related grades (grades 6 – 10 and ALC6) work such hours as are reasonably required to carry out their duties to the satisfaction of the head of department, nominally 37.5 hours per week. Salary and holiday entitlement for part-time staff are calculated on a pro rata basis.
Pension Schemes
Eligible staff in grades 6 and above are automatically enrolled in the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and into a salary exchange scheme, unless they choose to opt-out.
Probationary Period
The appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a probationary period. The length of the probationary period will be set out in your contract of employment.
Holiday
For a full-time appointment, the annual holiday entitlement will be 38 days (including bank holidays and some days to be taken in accordance with fixed closure periods in some departments).
For part-time posts the holiday entitlement is pro-rata.
Further information can be obtained from the recruiting department.
Sick Pay
Depending on length of service, employees who are absent from work through sickness or injury may be entitled to payment at the rate of full salary, for a period, through the University’s sick pay scheme.
For further details visit the staff handbook.
Family Leave Schemes
The University offers a set of enhanced family leave benefits from day 1 of employment. This includes:
- enhanced contractual maternity and adoption leave schemes provide new mothers and adoptive parents with primary care responsibility, who meet the eligibility criteria, with up to 52 weeks leave. This is made of up to 26 weeks full paid leave, up to a further 13 weeks leave on statutory benefits, and up to 13 weeks unpaid leave.
- enhanced Shared Parental Leave which gives the option for parents to share up to 50 weeks of the maternity/adoption leave and pay entitlement with their partner.
- additional Paternity/Partner Leave which provides up to 10 weeks of paid leave to eligible new fathers/partners of new mothers/adopters to supplement the 2 weeks of statutory paternity leave.
- up to 12 weeks of Neonatal care leave, paid at full pay, where parents of a newborn child need to take time off whilst they are in neonatal care.
Salary
The grade and full-time salary range for the role will be detailed in the advertisement and the job description and selection criteria document. If the post you are applying for is part-time the salary will be pro-rata to the number of hours you work.
Your starting salary will reflect your qualifications and experience. University salary scales are reviewed at a national level on 1 August each year. The University also pays its employees an Oxford University Weighting which is currently set at £1,730 per year. For details of the University’s current salary scales, which include the Oxford University weighting, visit https://finance.admin.ox.ac.uk/salary-scales. The OUW applies to all staff with the exception of those on clinical grades.
Grades 6 - 10: your salary will normally be automatically increased by one point on the salary scale on 1 October each year (subject to completing three months service) until you have reached the normal maximum ('scale bar') for the grade. Increases beyond this point may be available in certain cases as there is also a small ‘discretionary range’ for each grade.
Grade ALC6: your starting salary will be agreed on an individual basis, taking into consideration the role and your skills and experience. Salaries at ALC6 grade will normally be subject to a biennial review.
Hours of Work
Staff on academic-related grades (grades 6 – 10 and ALC6) work such hours as are reasonably required to carry out their duties to the satisfaction of the head of department, nominally 37.5 hours per week. Salary and holiday entitlement for part-time staff are calculated on a pro rata basis.
Pension Schemes
Eligible staff in grades 6 and above are automatically enrolled in the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and into a salary exchange scheme, unless they choose to opt-out.
Probationary Period
The appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a probationary period. The length of the probationary period will be set out in your contract of employment.
Holiday
For a full-time appointment, the annual holiday entitlement will be 38 days (including bank holidays and some days to be taken in accordance with fixed closure periods in some departments).
For part-time posts the holiday entitlement is pro-rata.
Further information can be obtained from the recruiting department.
Sick Pay
Depending on length of service, employees who are absent from work through sickness or injury may be entitled to payment at the rate of full salary, for a period, through the University’s sick pay scheme.
For further details visit the staff handbook.
Family Leave Schemes
The University offers a set of enhanced family leave benefits from day 1 of employment. This includes:
- enhanced contractual maternity and adoption leave schemes provide new mothers and adoptive parents with primary care responsibility, who meet the eligibility criteria, with up to 52 weeks leave. This is made of up to 26 weeks full paid leave, up to a further 13 weeks leave on statutory benefits, and up to 13 weeks unpaid leave.
- enhanced Shared Parental Leave which gives the option for parents to share up to 50 weeks of the maternity/adoption leave and pay entitlement with their partner.
- Additional Paternity/Partner Leave which provides up to 10 weeks of paid leave to eligible new fathers/partners of new mothers/adopters to supplement the 2 weeks of statutory paternity leave.
- Up to 12 weeks of Neonatal care leave, paid at full pay, where parents of a newborn child need to take time off whilst they are in neonatal care
For further details visit our family leave page
Salary
The grade and full-time salary range for the role will be detailed in the advertisement and the job description and selection criteria document. If the post you are applying for is part-time the salary will be pro-rata to the number of hours you work.
Your starting salary will reflect your qualifications and experience. University salary scales are reviewed at a national level on 1 August each year. The University also pays its employees an Oxford University Weighting which is currently set at £1,730 per year. For details of the University’s current salary scales, which include the Oxford University weighting, visit https://finance.admin.ox.ac.uk/salary-scales. The OUW applies to all staff with the exception of those on clinical grades.
Your salary will normally be automatically increased by one point on the salary scale on 1 October each year (subject to completing three months service) until you have reached the normal maximum ('scale bar') for the grade. Increases beyond this point may be available in certain cases as there is also a small ‘discretionary range’ for each grade.
Hours of Work
For staff in grades 1 - 5, full time hours of work are 36.5 hours per week. Pay and benefits (including holiday entitlement) for part-time appointments are calculated on a ‘pro rata’ basis.
Pensions Schemes
Eligible staff in grades 1-5 are automatically enrolled in the Oxford Staff Pension Scheme (OSPS) and into a salary exchange scheme, unless they choose to opt-out.
Probationary Period
The appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a probationary period. The length of the probationary period will be set out in your contract of employment.
Holiday
For a full-time appointment, the annual holiday entitlement will be 38 days (including bank holidays and some days to be taken in accordance with fixed closure periods in some departments).
For part-time posts the holiday entitlement is pro-rata.
Further information can be obtained from the recruiting department.
Sick Pay
Depending on length of service, employees who are absent from work through sickness or injury may be entitled to payment at the rate of full salary, for a period, through the University’s sick pay scheme.
For further details visit the staff handbook.
Family Leave Schemes
The University offers a set of enhanced family leave benefits from day 1 of employment. This includes:
- enhanced contractual maternity and adoption leave schemes provide new mothers and adoptive parents with primary care responsibility, who meet the eligibility criteria, with up to 52 weeks leave. This is made of up to 26 weeks full paid leave, up to a further 13 weeks leave on statutory benefits, and up to 13 weeks unpaid leave.
- enhanced Shared Parental Leave which gives the option for parents to share up to 50 weeks of the maternity/adoption leave and pay entitlement with their partner.
- additional Paternity/Partner Leave which provides up to 10 weeks of paid leave to eligible new fathers/partners of new mothers/adopters to supplement the 2 weeks of statutory paternity leave.
- up to 12 weeks of Neonatal care leave, paid at full pay, where parents of a newborn child need to take time off whilst they are in neonatal care.