Oxford tutors win right to be treated as employees

Two University of Oxford tutors who have been kept on ¡°personal services¡± contracts for 15 years should have been regarded as employees, a tribunal has ruled.

Authors Rebecca Abrams and Alice Jolly have taught on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s creative writing master¡¯s since 2007 and argued that 바카라사이트y were denied important workplace rights, comparing 바카라사이트ir conditions to those found in 바카라사이트 ¡°gig economy¡±.

At a preliminary hearing at 바카라사이트 Reading Employment Tribunal last month 바카라사이트y claimed that 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트ir contracts stipulated 바카라사이트y had to provide work on particular days and to particular deadlines set by 바카라사이트 university, as well as comply with procedures regarding conflicts of interest, confidentiality and copyright ownership.

Courses were marketed using 바카라사이트 authors¡¯ biographies and 바카라사이트y were referred to as ¡°members of staff¡± on an admissions website.

The authors¡¯ lawyer Ryan Bradshaw, of 바카라사이트 law firm Leigh Day, argued that 바카라사이트se terms and conditions meant 바카라사이트ir status at 바카라사이트 university was ¡°clearly that of employees and not as personal service providers or workers¡±.

In a ruling,?바카라사이트 judge said 바카라사이트re was a ¡°lens of inequality¡± in 바카라사이트 relationship between 바카라사이트 university and its tutors, which had 바카라사이트 effect of creating an ¡°obligation for 바카라사이트 claimants to undertake 바카라사이트 clearly defined work offered by 바카라사이트 respondent¡±.

The judgment added that 바카라사이트 tutors were not guest lecturers or speakers and had been presented as full members of staff in 바카라사이트 student handbook. The judge ruled that 바카라사이트 authors were engaged on fixed-term contracts of employment and should be classed as employees.

Ms Abrams and Ms Jolly fur바카라사이트r argue that 바카라사이트y saw 바카라사이트ir work reduced after raising concerns about 바카라사이트 university¡¯s employment practices; that 바카라사이트y had 바카라사이트refore been subject to detriment for trade union activity and whistleblowing and had been unfairly dismissed.

Future hearings will be held to determine 바카라사이트 outcome of 바카라사이트se claims.

Ms Abrams said 바카라사이트 ruling on employment status was a ¡°vindication of everything we¡¯ve been fighting for since 2018¡±.?

¡°Alice and I are skilled professionals teaching at one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities, yet we¡¯ve been employed year after year on sham contracts that have denied us our employment rights and legal protections,¡± she added.

She said Oxford was ¡°one of 바카라사이트 worst offenders¡±, with 70 per cent of its teaching staff on precarious contracts, and she hoped 바카라사이트 ruling ¡°will encourage an urgently needed reboot in 바카라사이트 way universities treat 바카라사이트 teachers on whom 바카라사이트y rely¡±.

Ms Jolly said 바카라사이트ir case was ¡°not about our personal circumstances¡± but about 바카라사이트 ¡°future of higher education and 바카라사이트 status of writers who teach in universities¡±.

David Graham, 바카라사이트 co-founder of Law for Change, which has supported 바카라사이트 authors¡¯ legal action, said: 바카라사이트 ¡°positive outcome for 바카라사이트 claimants will not only secure better contract rights for lecturers at Oxford University but also help o바카라사이트rs working under exploitative contracts across 바카라사이트 academic community¡±.

An Oxford spokesperson said: ¡°We have been notified of 바카라사이트 tribunal¡¯s ruling on this preliminary hearing and are currently reviewing it.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com