INTRODUCTION

The University recognises the need to provide flexible employment options which give staff choice over their working hours and the statutory rights that our staff have to request these arrangements. Whilst there is no automatic right to flexible working, the University recognises the contribution of such arrangements to the retention of skilled staff and encourages managers to be as accommodating as possible to individuals wishing to vary their work patterns and to give fair and thorough consideration to all requests, provided that the needs of the University, service, students and work colleagues are also met.

Staff have a legal right under the Employment Rights Act 1996 to make written requests to work flexibly. Flexibility can be related to working hours, working location and the pattern of working. Two applications can be made under this right in any 12-month period.

This policy applies to all staff although some options may only apply to certain groups of staff, for example flexitime. It is an important part of the University’s strategic aim to ‘develop recognise and value an engaged, diverse and high-quality workforce’. This policy sets out all flexible working options at the University and the procedure for applying to work flexibly.

Flexible Working Options – Hours of work

The ‘normal working hours pattern’ for a full-time member of staff is

• Monday to Thursday 9.00am to 5.20pm and
• Friday 9.00am to 5.10pm with one unpaid hour for lunch

Other useful definitions are

• 'a day' is 7 hours 20 minutes (7 hours 10 minutes on Fridays)
• 'a half day' is 3 hours 40 minutes
• 'a week' is 36 hours 30 minutes

This does not prevent departments setting different working hours patterns for their full-time staff, in order to best meet the operational requirements of their work.

The following flexible working options relating to working hours are available and eligible staff should make a request for this variation in line with the procedure set out below. In certain circumstances different work patterns may be proposed by managers where particular situations meet business need more effectively.

Flexible working agreements are always subject to operational needs and, with the exception of flexible retirement, may need to be reviewed in light of any changes to the University’s requirements.

Part time working

Part time working is defined as working less than the normal full-time hours of 36.5 hours per week. Part time staff are entitled to the same terms of pay and conditions of employment, pension rights and the same access to training and development opportunities as full-time staff.

Pay, annual leave, public holidays and discretionary days are calculated on a pro-rata basis.

If it is agreed with their line manager and excess hours are worked and time off in lieu (TOIL) is not an option, staff will receive their basic hourly rate for hours worked. Enhanced overtime rates will only apply where hours exceed the full-time hours of 36.5 per week.

Term time only

Term time working is an arrangement whereby staff work full or part-time hours based around school terms or University semesters but have the right to take an unpaid leave of absence during the remainder of the year.

This working pattern is only applicable for staff in the Management, Specialist and Administrative, Technical and Experimental, and Operational and Facilities Support job families.

Annualised hours

“Annualised hours” is an arrangement where a staff member is contracted to work a total number of hours over a year rather than a week. These hours can be worked at any time throughout the year, and this is designed to allow the staff member and their manager to agree an irregular work pattern. This can be a beneficial way to match staffing levels with peaks and troughs in activity as well as giving the staff member flexibility in their working time.

Hours worked will be recorded and signed by both the manager and the member of staff. The basic salary will be paid in twelve equal parts based on the average number of weekly working hours calculated over the year. The identification of a “year” for an annualised hour’s contract will normally run from 1 September until 31 August. Staff commencing or leaving the University outside of these dates will have their hours calculated on a pro-rata basis for that year.

If a member of staff resigns part way through the year and there is a disparity between hours worked and payment received, a balancing payment will be calculated and the final salary can be adjusted accordingly, with any overpayment being automatically deducted from the final salary.

This working pattern is only applicable for staff in the Management, Specialist and Administrative, Technical and Experimental, and Operational and Facilities Support job families.

Compressed hours working

Professional services staff working compressed hours work their total contracted hours over fewer working days by working for longer hours each day. For example, a full-time staff member could work 36.5 hours over 4.5 days or a 9-day fortnight rather than 5 days each week. Where agreed, leave entitlement will be pro-rated to ensure that there is a fair provision of leave.

Unless flexibilities on working days are explicitly agreed and detailed in the working arrangements, line managers should ensure that team meetings / awaydays etc. are not arranged on non-working days of staff on compressed hours.

It is expected that applications to work compressed hours will come from professional services staff in posts where their role can be fulfilled in the shorter number of days requested without any loss of service.

This option needs to be requested through a formal flexible working request.

Flexible retirement

Flexible retirement allows staff who are members of one of the University’s pension schemes, with the University’s consent, to take a proportion of their pension benefits while continuing to work on a reduced hours basis (referred to as a ‘flex’) whilst continuing to build up pension benefits.

Pensions information

Staff interested in applying for flexible retirement are advised to contact the University’s Pensions Officer in the first instance to obtain an estimate of benefits available to them. As actuarial reductions for early payment of benefits can be significant this should be done as early as possible to ensure that they have all the necessary personal pension information required before submitting a request.

Information on flexible retirement options for members of Avon Pension Scheme/Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) the information is available here.

The information for members of USS is available in the Scheme Rules.

Members of the University of Bath Group Pension Plan can find the information relating to that scheme here

An application for flexible retirement is made as a Flexible Working Request following the process outlined below. Following a discussion with you, your Head of Department or line manager will consult with the Dean or Head of Professional Service regarding whether or not the flexible retirement request can be supported. Consideration will be given to the following:

• the impact of any additional costs
• the potential impact on the service provided to students and staff
• the ability of the department to re-organise work among existing staff or the ability to recruit additional staff to cover any gaps
• the potential impact on quality or operational performance
• the opportunity for succession planning
• the availability of work during the periods proposed
• how the proposed change fits with any anticipated structural changes in the department or faculty
• how the proposed changes fit with the operational needs of the department or faculty

Once a decision has been made, your Head of Department or line manager will inform you and your HR Business Partner of the details of the change agreed or the reasons for refusal.

Once approved, you should contact the Pensions Officer in order to complete the appropriate pensions notification form. Human Resources will write to you detailing the variation to your contract and also inform Payroll. Once the pension comes into payment, the decision to take flexible retirement is irreversible.

Flexitime

Subject to the operational needs of the University to deliver services effectively and to how Departments operate the scheme, flexitime is available to all staff apart from casual workers, staff whose contracts require the working of specific fixed hours (e.g. staff working shifts) and academic staff (since academic staff already have flexibilities within their contract).

A flexitime scheme allows staff to have an element of flexibility over their working hours. It involves flexible start and finish times around ‘core working hours’ (when attendance is required) and within the limitations of the ‘bandwidth’ (the earliest and latest times between which hours can be worked) allow staff more choice, subject to the operational requirements, over their working hours.

All full-time staff, unless otherwise agreed, are expected to be present undertaking their duties during the core hours which are defined as follows

These are the standard core hours for full-time staff to which this scheme applies and should be used for normal working arrangements. Although there is a standard scheme, implementation can be flexible to suit the operations of individual departments or sections.

The purpose of the scheme is to allow members of staff to effectively manage their work commitments and their personal commitments. Subject to the operational requirements of the service, full-time staff may work flexibly during ‘Flexible’ hours or their department. Part-time staff may, subject to the exigencies of the service, work flexibly if part of their working day falls during ‘Flexible’ hours.

Flexitime differs from Time off in Lieu (TOIL) which can only be accrued through additional hours worked requested or approved in advance by a line manager or a set requirement to undertake additional hours of work. This would normally be in relation to a specific activity or piece of work.

Principles of the scheme

1. Participation in any scheme adopted in a Department or Section is optional and staff may elect to maintain their ‘normal’ working hours.
2. Staff who, by the nature of their contract i.e. part-time hours, or those with working patterns or on shift patterns where they are required to undertake duties at a particular time, may be unable to benefit from the scheme.
3. It is not a contractual right and can be reviewed at any time, including on an annual basis or when staff leave/join the department or University. It may be amended or withdrawn if there is a detrimental impact on the delivery of the service. If arrangements are changed these will be given in writing.
   
4. It does not alter the existing definition of a working week, defined as 36.5 hours per week and it does not affect overtime working.
5. In line with the University’s policy, all staff working more than five sequential hours a day must take a minimum of a half hour break which is not counted within the flexi-time scheme i.e. it is taken in staff’s ‘own time’. For young people under the age of 18 years, a minimum break of half an hour is required after four and half hours in accordance with the working time regulations.
   
6. Hours must be recorded and approved in quarter of an hour segments.
7. ‘credit’ hours accrued as a result of the scheme must be taken as flexi leave
8. a maximum of one working day of ‘credit’ hours can be carried into the next four-week period
9. hours must be accrued in advance of taking flexi leave as there is no debit process
10. Any staff who resign from the University are expected to clear any credit or debit flexitime before leaving.
11. Its success relies upon mutual trust between staff and their managers.

Operating the scheme

Any request to take more than one hour of flexitime in any one day should be agreed by the line manager in advance. Staff are encouraged to approach their team informally to discuss their request and operational needs prior to consulting their manager. They should be mindful of busy periods within the academic year and their department.

A request may be refused if minimum staffing levels cannot be maintained as this may cause undue pressure on the remainder of the team. Appropriate staffing levels will be determined by the Head of Department/Head of Professional Service.

Annual leave and then TOIL should always take priority over flexitime.

If staff wish to take a full working day off to use flexitime accrued they must make a request to their line manager normally not less than seven days in advance.

All staff participating in the flexi scheme must keep a clear and accurate record of hours worked, including lunch break on a Flexi time Sheet. Flexi records should be reviewed by the line manager on a four weekly basis and a record should be kept for up to 3 months.

Time taken for medical/dental appointments is covered in the Managing Sickness: Supporting Staff policy and procedure

Job sharing arrangements

A job share is a formal arrangement where two people voluntarily share duties and responsibilities of one full time post and the salary and benefits on a pro rata basis. Both partners take joint responsibility for the whole job. The University of Bath recognises the benefits in enabling jobs to be available to staff wishing to job share, so that the skills of those not able to work full time may be fully utilised.

Whilst there is no automatic right to job sharing, the University will give fair and thorough consideration to all requests. It will respond positively where it is reasonable and practicable to do so and where the role and the operational requirements of the University, Faculty or Department will not be adversely affected.

Distribution of hours, duties and responsibilities

The hours of each post will be agreed prior to the commencement of the job share and the total hours will not normally exceed the hours for a full-time post. Job sharing is different from job splitting which occurs when a job is split into two separate jobs, requiring very little interaction.

It is very important that there is an even balance of hours and an equality of responsibility between the two partners. Job sharing should not be agreed on a greater differential of hours than 60/40. An equal 50/50 split of hours is highly recommended to ensure that the responsibilities are divided and delivered equally.

Job sharers will have one common job description and each partner must be prepared to undertake the full range of duties. The duties may be split in a number of different ways e.g. according to tasks, projects, student-related activity, client/service base. The line manager, in consultation with the job sharers, will determine the actual distribution of the duties either on an allocated basis, or completely shared duties or a combination of the two. This will be monitored by the line manager with the job share partners to establish whether or not the job share is effective operationally.

Where a job share is agreed, each job sharer will sign a Job Share Agreement. This includes a 12-week trial period and will apply to both existing and new posts. During the trial period the line manager will meet with staff both individually and together to monitor and record how effective the post is working on an operational basis. The arrangement will be formally reviewed on a regular basis throughout the 12-week period and at a final review meeting at the end of the trial period.

If it is concluded by the line manager at the final review meeting following the end of the trial period that the job share arrangements are not working effectively, the original post holder will revert to their original terms and conditions or be placed on the University’s Redeployment Register to seek possible redeployment to another part time post. If neither of these alternatives is possible, the University will have to consider the termination of their contract in line with dismissals for some other substantive reason as set out in the University’s Capability Procedure.

If a trial period is not successful, the University will have to consider terminating the contract of those newly appointed to a job share post through the above procedure.

Holiday and sickness cover

Where one job sharer is absent due to sickness or annual leave, there is no obligation for their partner to cover the hours of the job share partner. However, during periods such as long-term sickness absence, maternity leave or recruiting a new job share partner, they should be prepared to consider, with their line manager, how the post can continue to operate flexibly. This may involve re-prioritising of duties, or where possible increasing hours or adjusting the normal work pattern on a temporary basis. If a job sharer undertakes to work additional hours, they will be paid at plain time unless their weekly hours worked is in excess of the full-time hours (36.5 per week) from which point overtime would be paid if applicable.

Job sharers should not normally book leave at the same time as this can be disadvantageous operationally. Leave should be booked via the line manager in the usual way. Public holidays and discretionary days will be shared equally between partners on a pro-rata basis regardless of which days they normally work.

Communication

Job sharers have primary responsibility for ensuring good communication with each other, effective co-operation and continuity of work. A handover / overlap period is recommended but not compulsory and will be dependent on the nature of the role. In most cases an overlap of a minimum of one hour per week would be expected. The most appropriate methods of communication will be discussed and agreed before the job share commences.

If the shared role requires attendance at meetings, it may be a requirement for one job sharer to attend and pass on details of the meeting or to alternate the meeting dates to allow both partners to attend at different times of the week. If it is necessary for both partners to be present, the working pattern may need to be varied from time to time to accommodate this. This will be determined by the line manager.

Terms and conditions of employment

Each job sharer will receive a separate contract of employment in accordance with the hours to be worked. Job sharers will: - be paid pro-rata to the full-time rate for the number of hours worked - be paid on a salary scale point according to each individual’s previous experience, qualifications and skills - be on the same grade in line with the University’s grading structure - be considered for contribution pay on an individual basis in line with the University’s Contribution Pay Scheme - receive pro-rata annual leave - be entitled to normal provisions of the University’s sick pay entitlements - be entitled to maternity/paternity/parental leave where appropriate in accordance with the University’s policies(any pay due will be on a pro-rata basis to the number of hours worked) - be entitled to the pension benefits as detailed in the appropriate pension scheme - have the same access to training and development opportunities as full time staff - have an initial 12-week trial period which runs in parallel with their probationary period for new staff to the University

Application procedure

Where it has been agreed that posts can be job shared this should be stated in the advert. Refusal to agree to a job share proposal from existing employees must be justified on operational grounds. The feasibility of operating the post as a job share should be considered by consulting with their Head of Department and with Human Resources before any decision is taken to advertise.

Applying for a job share as an existing post holder

A member of staff who wishes to share their current post should discuss the request with their line manager in the first instance. They should then follow the Flexible Working Request Procedure outlined below.

Applying as a job sharer to a vacant post

Where an individual applies for a vacancy as part of a job share without a complementary job sharer and the individual meets the essential criteria of the person specification and is short listed and selected as the best person for the job, consideration will need to be given to advertising for a job sharer and any offer made will be subject to recruiting a job share partner through a single recruitment exercise.

Applying with a job share partner/linked applications

Where two applicants apply jointly for a job share vacancy on a job share basis, selection will be based on assessment of each individual against the person specification in line with the University’s Recruitment and Selection Code of Practice. Where one part of a joint/linked application is rejected at either short-listing or after interview, the successful job share applicant will be given the option to continue with their application.

What happens when a job share partner leaves?

As job sharers are contracted as inter-dependent partners, the departure of one will impact on the other's contractual position. This means that if one job share partner leaves and a replacement cannot be found to cover the remaining hours, the contract of the remaining job sharer may be terminated if no other part time post or alternative job share can be identified. Advice should be sought from Human Resources in these situations.

In the event of a job sharer leaving, the part time vacancy will be advertised following the normal recruitment procedure. On this basis the other job sharer will also have the opportunity to apply to take up the post on a full-time basis.

If after advertising on at least two occasions (which may include one internal-only advert) another suitable job share partner cannot be found and a review of the operational needs of the Department show that full time hours are required, recruitment for a full time member of staff will be initiated. At this point the line manager should seek advice from Human Resources and consider the termination of the employment of the remaining job sharer by following the process of termination for some other substantive reason as set out in Section 14 of the University’s Capability Policy and Procedure. The University will endeavour to redeploy the remaining job share partner during their notice period to a suitable alternative role with the same, or similar, hours of work.

Where a job share partner leaves temporarily, for example to take maternity or sabbatical leave, a recruitment procedure should be followed in the usual way.

Career break

The University of Bath is committed to providing a facility whereby staff can request an unpaid extended period away from employment to meet their personal needs whilst at the same time providing for regular contact between the University and the member of staff with a view to facilitating a later return to work.

The scheme applies to all staff on a permanent (or ‘open-ended’) contract. The granting of a career break is subject to the agreement of the Head of Department and the relevant line manager and after consultation with Human Resources. Applications for a Career Break should be made via the Flexible Working Application Form at least fifteen weeks in advance of the proposed commencement date. This notice may be varied where exceptional, compassionate circumstances exist.

Full details of the policy and procedure can be found here.

Flexible working options – location of work

The following flexible working arrangements are available for staff to request from their line manager in different ways. It is explained below which will require a formal flexible working request and which will not.

The University has developed its own model for hybrid working called the Bath Hybrid model for professional services staff;

The model applies to staff in the Management, Specialist & Administrative (MSA), Technical & Experimental (T&E) and Operations, Facilities & Support (OFS) job families who are able to undertake their duties effectively away from the University premises. It should be noted however, that many roles in the OFS and T&E job families (e.g. cleaner / porters, electricians and technicians) can only be undertaken on University premises so therefore staff in these roles would not be able to work on the Bath Hybrid model.

The University expects a member of staff to be working completely during their working time at home in the same way they would be when working at the University and therefore it is not appropriate for a member of staff to carry out childcare or other care duties during their working hours when working from home.

In addition to that model, the following flexible working arrangements are available for staff to request from their line manager in different ways. It is explained below which will require a formal flexible working request and which will not.

Occasional homeworking

This is an option for staff who are not working on a hybrid basis but who have pieces of work that might best be completed through occasional working at home with minimum distraction or interruptions.

This arrangement can be requested, agreed and undertaken as part of normal day-to-day line management and does not require or constitute a formal flexible working request.

Individual hybrid working arrangement

Hybrid working will normally be organised on a whole department or whole team basis, as it relies on staff within a team or department working in an integrated way. In this situation, no formal flexible working request is required or can be made. Heads of Department and line managers will work with their teams to enable their hybrid working to best meet the different needs of individual staff wherever possible.

However, an individual professional services member of staff may make a formal flexible working request for themselves only, to work on a hybrid working basis in the following situation: - where they are not currently working on these hybrid-working arrangements, and - where the tasks and responsibilities of their post can be carried out effectively at home

They and their line manager would need to consider whether (and if so, how) this requested arrangement could be sustainably achieved, without impacting negatively on the service or their workload and safe way of working.

Largely Remote Working

Remote working is an arrangement agreed between a member of staff and the University to work the greater majority of their contractual hours from their home on either a fixed term or a long term but reviewable basis. There will still be a requirement to attend the University campus / premises on an occasional basis (e.g. a few times per year).

If remote working is agreed, the member of staff’s home will become their work base / location and they will only attend the University for necessary meetings on campus / site (e.g. face-to-face meetings). Travel expenses will not be paid for the remote-working staff member to travel to the University campus / premises for the few days each year to attend in-person meetings.

Overseas working

The University employs people on the basis of their working location being in the UK, whether this be a University premise or remote working. Any request for remote working that would involve a member of staff working outside of the UK needs to be first assessed from tax, social security and immigration perspective.

The member of staff and their Head of Department will need to follow the University’s procedure for requesting overseas working.

Requesting Flexible Working Arrangements

Flexible Working Request Procedure

Requests for any type of flexible working, including flexible retirement, should be made in writing by completing a Flexible Working Application Form and submitting it to the relevant line manager and copying to the Human Resources Advisor/Business Partner. For Academic staff, requests should be submitted to the Head of Department/Head of School, (or to the Dean in the case of a Head of Department).

It is not an automatic right that any request will be granted but all requests will be considered carefully taking into consideration operational requirements. With the exception of flexible retirement, only two flexible working applications can be made within a period of 12 months.

How to make a flexible working request application The Flexible Working Application form must be completed by the member of staff specifying the following details: - that this is a request to change terms and conditions of employment i.e. a change to: the hours of work, the times required to work, to work from home - the change applied for and the date on which it is proposed the change should become effective (this may take from 12 – 14 weeks) -whether a previous application has been made and if so the date on which it was made -the date of the application and the applicant’s signature

The law requires that all requests, including any appeals, must be considered and decided within a period of two months unless an extension to this period is approved by mutual agreement. For example, this may be agreed to accommodate holiday arrangements or business commitments. Any agreed extension should be discussed with the relevant HR Advisor/Business Partner and should be recorded in writing.

It will be important for the line manager to meet with the member of staff to discuss their request and its impact as soon as possible after receiving the application. At that meeting staff may be accompanied by a work colleague or trade union representative if they so wish. If either is unavailable for this meeting, an alternative time will normally be arranged. If the member of staff is unable to attend the original meeting and the rescheduled meeting the application will be considered withdrawn. The line manager will inform the member of staff if this is the case.

The line manager should normally seek advice from their HR Advisor/ Business Partner to ensure that they are considering requests equitably and in line with current legislation, this policy and any available guidance notes and checklist.

The manager should allow time for discussions to take place with other members of staff with regard to consideration of and consultation on any potential operational impact of the request, including on the service provided, students /customers and the other staff involved.

For flexible retirement requests the line manager must seek approval from the Dean/Director of Finance and Commercial Services for USS members or Head of Department/Head of Professional Service for LGPS members before confirming the outcome.

Where requests to work flexibly are received closely together from different employees it may be possible to grant all the requests received. However, before doing so the line manager will need to look closely at the impact this would have on the business before coming to a decision.

Requests should be considered in the order they are received. Having considered and approved the first request it should be noted that the business case context has now changed and can be taken into account when considering the second request against the business reasons noted below.

When the line manager receives more than one request, they are not required by law to make value judgments about the most deserving request. Each case should be considered on its merits, taking account of any impact on the service of the decisions made about those requests received earlier.

If the line manager agrees to the request for flexible working or to the request but with agreed amendments, this decision will be implemented from the agreed start date.

There may be instances where the line manager is unsure whether the arrangements requested are sustainable in the business or about the possible impact on other members of staff’s requests for flexible working. In this situation the line manager can agree to flexible working arrangements for a temporary or trial period rather than rejecting the request. This will be agreed in writing. During any trial period, the change to any terms and conditions of employment will be regarded as temporary.

If the line manager is considering rejecting the request, they are required to consult further with the member of staff before coming to a decision. This may take into account the possibility of making adjustments to the application or calling for volunteers from existing flexible working staff to change their contracts back to other arrangements. This could then create a capacity for new requests to work flexibly.

It is good practice to set review points when the member of staff and their line manager can jointly discuss how the new arrangements are working and make any adjustments necessary (this will not apply to flexible retirement requests). The line manager will inform the HR Advisor of the details of any agreed change to ensure that the necessary paperwork is completed.

On receipt of the signed variation letter from the member of staff, Human Resources will action any change and inform Payroll and the Pensions Officer.

Any variation in contractual terms approved under the above regulations is a permanent one and staff have no automatic right to change back to their previous pattern of work, unless the application seeks the variation for a specified time period only.

Staff may withdraw their request for flexible working at any time before it has been accepted and any new terms and conditions put in place. A request can be treated as withdrawn if the member of staff, without good reason, fails to attend two consecutive meetings to discuss the request or an appeal.

If an application is refused, only after the required consultation with the staff member, the line manager will reply in writing setting out one or more of the business reasons and how these apply to the application. The business reasons are as set out in section 80G of the Employment Rights Act (1996) 1. The burden of additional costs. 2. Detrimental effect on the ability to meet customer demand. 3. Inability to re-organise work among existing staff. 4. Inability to recruit additional staff. 5. Detrimental impact on quality. 6. Detrimental impact on performance. 7. Insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work. 8. Planned structural changes. Staff will be notified of the appeals procedure as set out below.

Flexible Working Appeal Procedure

How must an appeal be made?

Staff who wish to appeal a decision made under the Flexible Working procedure should complete the Flexible Working Appeal Form and send it to the Director of Human Resources within 10 working days of receipt of the letter of refusal notification.

Who will hear the appeal?

The appeal will normally be heard by the Head of Department/Head of Professional Service (or his/her nominee who should be senior to the manager who made the decision being appealed), supported by an HR Manager who has not been involved in the original decision, normally within 4 weeks of receipt of the appeal form, unless otherwise agreed between the parties, and within 3 months of receiving the original request for flexible working unless an extension is agreed with the member of staff. Where there is no appropriate person within the Department, a Head of Department from a different department may hear the appeal.

Staff will be notified in writing of the outcome of their appeal as soon as possible after the appeal meeting. There is no further level of internal appeal.

Can they be accompanied?

The member of staff may be represented or accompanied by a trade union representative or work colleague at the appeal meeting.

Flexible retirement Appeals: LGPS

In the event of the application not being supported by the Head of Department/Head of Professional Services, a right of appeal exists under the Local Government Pension Scheme Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDPR). For the purpose of the IDPR, the person nominated by the University to hear the appeal is the Director of Human Resources. Details can be found on the Avon pension fund website.

Flexible retirement Appeals: USS

If an application for flexible retirement is not supported by the Dean/Director of Finance and Commercial Services, an appeal against a refusal to grant a flexible retirement request will be heard by either the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, or a Pro-Vice-Chancellor or the University Secretary advised by the Director of Human Resources or his/her Deputy.