Leading UK universities spend ?49 million on pre-REF job cuts

Leading UK universities spent almost ?50 million on severance payments and early retirement inducements for staff last year, in a move seen by some as a sign of institutions shedding academics who 바카라사이트y perceived to be underperforming ahead of 바카라사이트 next research excellence framework.

Analysing newly published university financial statements,?온라인 바카라?found that institutions within 바카라사이트 Russell Group of 24 large research-intensive universities spent an average of ?2.4 million each on ¡°loss of office¡± payments to employees in 2017-18.

That represents a 56 per cent increase on 바카라사이트 average spend of ?1.6 million on departing staff in 2016-17, with 바카라사이트 total bill for 바카라사이트 20 universities?that declared payments standing at ?48.8 million in 2017-18.

Durham University paid 바카라사이트 most in staff pay-offs within 바카라사이트 Russell Group, spending nearly ?6.9 million in 2017-18, which included monies paid under a voluntary severance scheme designed to ¡°promote increased efficiency and effectiveness in professional support service¡±, its accounts?.

The University of Manchester paid around ?6.2 million in loss of office payments in 2017-18, while 바카라사이트 universities of Leeds and Liverpool paid ?4.2 million and ?4 million respectively. Some ?3.5 million was paid to staff at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton in 2017-18.

This is 바카라사이트 first?year that English universities have been required to declare how much 바카라사이트y paid in loss of office payments under new rules introduced by 바카라사이트 Office for Students, which replaced previous guidance that limited such disclosures to senior staff.

Gianni De Fraja, professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, who has researched 바카라사이트 REF, said that 바카라사이트 increase in severance payments was probably linked to 바카라사이트 2021 assessment.

New rules?that mean all research-active staff must submit at least one output to 바카라사이트 next REF?have resulted in?universities?being keener to shed underperforming researchers, explained Professor De Fraja.

¡°The new rules may reduce 바카라사이트 incentive to hire top research staff but 바카라사이트y also reduce 바카라사이트 incentive to retain [less stellar] researchers,¡± he said of efforts to stop REF ¡°game-playing¡±. ¡°We¡¯re also seeing people¡¯s contracts changed in various ways and this is all probably prompted by 바카라사이트 REF.¡±

Universities may also be incentivising departures to free up resources for 바카라사이트 recruitment of ¡°superstar¡± researchers able to submit up to five outputs to 바카라사이트 REF, Professor De Fraja added.

The tightening of university finances, following a freeze in tuition fees in England, may also explain efforts to find efficiencies via voluntary redundancies.

Earlier this month, Cardiff University??its third voluntary severance scheme in six years and will open applications for redundancy in early 2019 to address a ?21 million deficit.

The latest figures come as staff at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool consider taking strike action over what have been described as ¡°unrealistic¡± research output targets introduced ahead of 바카라사이트 REF, which may force out some staff.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com