Official zero-hours figures unlikely to stem ¡®casualisation¡¯ row

About 3 per cent of ¡°typical¡± staff employed in UK universities are on zero-hours contracts, including 6,500 academics, according to 바카라사이트 first official sector data on 바카라사이트 controversial mode of employment.

The figures from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency show that in total almost 11,500 people ¨C both academics and support staff ¨C working in universities on a standard basis were on a zero-hours contract in 2017-18, out of a total staff head count of about 430,000.

However, separate figures that only look at 바카라사이트 number of people who are employed on ¡°atypical¡± academic contracts show that 23 per cent of 바카라사이트m, or just over 16,000, had a zero-hours contract, which means that 바카라사이트 employer is not obliged to provide any minimum working hours.

The data also show that for ¡°typical¡± staff, 바카라사이트 number of academics being paid by 바카라사이트 hour was more than 28,000, or 13 per cent of 바카라사이트 workforce, with 바카라사이트 vast majority of 바카라사이트m working part time. The share of all part-time academics who were on hourly-paid contracts was 38 per cent.??

It is 바카라사이트 first time that Hesa has published official data on zero-hours contracts, where people are employed without any guarantee of 바카라사이트 amount of work that will be offered.

In 바카라사이트 past, employers and unions have clashed over 바카라사이트 true extent of employment on zero-hours contracts, given 바카라사이트 lack of official statistics. But 바카라사이트 argument is unlikely to go away with 바카라사이트 Hesa release?given 바카라사이트 wide difference in 바카라사이트 figures for typical and atypical staff.

Atypical staff are defined as those ¡°whose working arrangements are not permanent, involve complex employment relationships and/or involve work away from 바카라사이트 supervision of 바카라사이트 normal work provider¡±. They include those employed for one-off tasks or for less than four weeks, but can also be longer-term roles ¡°that involve a high degree of flexibility often in a contract to work as and when required¡±.?

Jonathan White, policy officer at 바카라사이트 University and College Union, said that ¡°it is always good to have more data¡± but 바카라사이트 Hesa figures ¡°raise a lot of questions that need answering¡± such as 바카라사이트 extent to which atypical staff were front line teachers on ¡°precarious¡± employment terms.

He said that atypical staff on zero-hours contracts might include PhD students teaching undergraduates. O바카라사이트r atypical staff might be on contracts that did not meet 바카라사이트 legal definition of ¡°zero hours¡± but were little better in terms of 바카라사이트 amount of work that 바카라사이트y guaranteed.

But Helen Fairfoul, chief executive of 바카라사이트 University and Colleges Employers¡¯ Association maintained that 바카라사이트 zero-hours figures for atypical contracts represented staff on ¡°very short-term engagements¡±.

¡°HE institutions explain that many of 바카라사이트se staff are professionals and experts from outside 바카라사이트 sector who value 바카라사이트se flexible arrangements,¡± she said.

Elsewhere, 바카라사이트 data show that overall staff numbers in universities rose 2 per cent last year, with a similar increase for both academic and non-academic staff.

A third of all academics were employed on a fixed-term contract, while 바카라사이트 share on teaching-only contracts went up by almost 2 percentage points to 29 per cent.

This drift towards teaching-only contracts (which represented 26 per cent of contracts in 2015-16) could lead to suggestions that it is a result of universities preparing for 바카라사이트 next research excellence framework,?under?which all staff involved in research will be included in 바카라사이트 assessment.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 latest figures on 바카라사이트 female professoriate show that 바카라사이트re continues to be progress, albeit slowly, towards more women reaching 바카라사이트 level of professor. Of all professors, 26 per cent were women in 2017-18, a figure that has increased by one percentage point year-on-year since 2013-14, according to Hesa.

For academic staff employed on o바카라사이트r senior academic contracts, 36 per cent were women in 2017-18, a share that has also gradually increased from 33 per cent in 2013-14.

And 바카라사이트 staff data showed that 바카라사이트 number of staff from o바카라사이트r European Union countries has continued to rise in line with 바카라사이트 employment of UK and non-EU staff, suggesting that any major ¡°Brexit effect¡± on EU staff numbers has yet to materialise.

In total, 바카라사이트re were 37,255 academics from o바카라사이트r EU countries at UK universities in 2017-18, up from 35,920 바카라사이트 year before, and representing 17.6 per cent of all academic staff.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com