Contract renewal procedure

As is normal practice for all employees, fixed-term contracts employees should be given clear, unambiguous information by their employing Discipline/School/Directorate and the People Support team about the nature of their contract and the timescale for its review.

The procedure to be followed as fixed-term contracts move towards an end is administered by the People Support team. There are however, specific duties that a grant holder/Discipline Lead/Dean/Director must undertake as part of this process.

The procedure is as follows:

1. The People Support team will send out renewal paperwork to the grant holder/Discipline Lead/Dean/Director, three months prior to the end of the fixed-term contract. This will remind them of the termination date of the contract and ask for confirmation of the termination date or whether there is to be a renewal of contract. This form must be completed and returned to the People Support team by the return date.
2. The grant holder/Discipline Lead/Dean/Director is at the same time sent a procedure to be followed if the fixed-term contract is not to be renewed. This involves meeting with the individual to explain why the contract has come to an end, explore possibilities of further employment, etc
3. A letter is also sent by the People Support team to the member of staff on the fixed-term contract. This letter informs them that: the end of the contract is on a certain date, states that a meeting should take place with the grant holder/Discipline Lead/Dean/Director and informs them of their rights in relation to the contract coming to an end.

These procedures emphasise the importance of promoting redeployment opportunities wherever possible. However, as much notice as possible should be given of a decision not to renew a contract.

In any discussion, a member of staff has with their Grantholder/Discipline Lead/Dean/Director about their post, a member of staff on a fixed-term contract may be accompanied by a University colleague or trade union representative, if they so wish.

The Discipline/School/Directorate must advise the People Support team of whether or not the contract will be renewed by completing the form received under stage 1 above and returning it to the People Support team. This must be done timeously in order to give as much notice as possible of the decision.  In most cases the member of staff will be entitled to 3 months' notice.

On receipt of the form from the Discipline/School/Directorate, the People Support team will write to the member of staff, either

1. Issuing a renewal of contract letter
2. Giving notification of expiry of fixed-term contract

If the contract is not being renewed, where it is likely that the member of staff may have been employed continuously for two or more years, they will be sent a Staff Leaving Return form. If this form is completed and returned to the People Support team it will them be scrutinised to determine if a statutory redundancy payment should now be made.