Employment of Associate Lecturers policy

1.1 Oxford Brookes University is operating in an increasingly competitive environment, which is dependent on variable and insecure funding.

1.2 The University recognises the benefits, for both the University and for individuals, of making full use of a diverse range of working arrangements to be responsive to workload planning needs and to provide employees with flexible working opportunities. 

3.1 The employment of ALs enables the University to be a productive, efficient and flexible organisation.

3.2 Often ALs work with the University on a secondary employment basis, making invaluable links with industry, as well as providing opportunities for routes into teaching. This also improves our student employability through the inclusion of current and real world practice in the University teaching, as well as providing opportunities to build connections.

3.3 This policy ensures that the University treats all its employees fairly and offers opportunities for all staff groups to pursue and develop their careers, ultimately enhancing both the student and employee experience.

Recruitment and selection

6.1 The University operates a fair Recruitment and Selection Policy. It is recognised that due to the circumstances that give rise to the recruitment of an AL, the recruitment process needs to be timely and proportionate. Where a need to recruit an AL arises, the recruitment process is delegated in part to the Faculty or Directorate to be carried out in line with the guidance provided on the AL Recruitment and Selection webpage, where templates are provided to support best practice. 

6.2 It is a mandatory requirement that a verbal reference is obtained, eligibility to work in the UK (‘Right to Work’) checks are carried out, and the People Directorate issues a contract of employment to the successful candidate, prior to employment commencing. 

6.3 Once these mandatory requirements have been completed and approved within the People Directorate, ALs can be issued with a schedule of work from the Faculty or Directorate, normally prior to the start of the semester.

Rates of pay

6.4 There are two rates of pay for ALs:

6.4.1 Comprehensive Rate - to be used when claiming for each scheduled teaching hour, which includes payment for time spent on preparation and marking, pastoral guidance, and dissertation/thesis supervision (as shown in Appendix 1, Brookes Login required). ALs must not claim for these activities separately in addition to the comprehensive rate.  This rate is inclusive of holiday pay.

6.4.2 Basic Rate - intended to claim for each hour of non-teaching duties, and for any additional teaching or lecture attendance conducted without the normal duties of assessment setting, marking and pastoral guidance (e.g. workshop facilitation). This rate has an additional element added for holiday pay (as shown in section 6.5). 

6.5 The total basic rate is calculated by dividing the scale point salary by 365 (days in year) x by 7 (days in week), dividing by 37 (notional full-time working week), and adding holiday pay at 18.46% per hour (see section 6.14 for further information on how holiday pay is calculated) as follows:

6.6 Scheduled teaching is paid at a comprehensive rate (2.5 x the simple basic rate), which includes payment for time spent on preparation and marking, pastoral guidance, and dissertation/thesis supervision (see section 6.4.1). The comprehensive element includes payment for holiday pay within the multiplier as follows:

All rates are up to date as of 1 August 2025 – please note that the rate has the potential to change every academic year depending on the pay negotiations.  6.7 Illustrations of how the comprehensive rate multiplier of 2.5 has been arrived at, including the element for holiday pay, are set out in Appendix 1 (Brookes login required). 

Marking and additional marking

6.8 The comprehensive rate includes payment for 20 minutes (0.333 hours) of marking for every scheduled teaching hour worked. An additional allocation of hours for marking and assessments may be assigned to an AL if their line manager considers that the nature of the assessment is more complex than the norm, or if they are covering colleague’s marking or carrying out second marking.  

6.9 Such additional marking may be claimed at the basic rate, and in alignment with the Additional Marking Banded Matrix in Appendix 2 (Brookes login required). In the event that the comprehensive rate payment includes more marking time than is needed, there will be no reduction in payment.

Administration of assessment results

6.10 The University recognises that, in addition to marking itself, administration is required to record the results on the University’’s systems and will pay 0.5 hours at the basic rate for each ‘assessment point’ (i.e. per assessment, not per student).

Other Claimable Hours

6.11 Payment for any of the following duties, when they are not linked to teaching already paid at the comprehensive rate, will be made at the basic rate:

• Induction and training: including university mandatory training and training that is directly relevant to the role and authorised by the line manager (see section 6.20 for further information).
• Short-course delivery.
• Exam supervision.
• A maximum of two hours of programme meetings per semester.
• Student placement visits.
• Membership of faculty boards and committees.
• Attendance at Examination Boards.
• Applicant open days and visit days.
• Departmental away days.
• Research and/or knowledge exchange activities.

In the unusual event that an AL is asked to attend a lecture in addition to their paid duties, for example to carry out Reflective Dialogue’s on Academic Practice (RDAP), (Brookes login required) or to enable them to deliver a seminar on an unfamiliar module for the first time, this will be agreed with the line manager and paid at the basic rate.  

6.12 ALs will be paid monthly in arrears upon submission of a claim form in Service Now (Brookes login required). Instructions of how to use the claim form can be found within the AL user guide. All claims must be submitted within two months of the work being undertaken or before the end of the University financial year within which it took place, whichever is sooner. Pay claims submitted to finance teams before the first of the month will be paid at the last working day of the month. If this falls on a weekend, or a bank holiday, the payment date will be the final working Friday of the month. Please note due to university closure, the payment date in December falls earlier than usual. 

Holiday pay

6.13 ALs will receive a pro rata entitlement for holiday pay at the rate of 18.46% for each hour worked. 

6.14 Holiday pay will be paid at the same time as payment for each hour claimed, as described in the rates of pay section above, specifically in section 6.5 for hours claimed at basic rate, and in Appendix 1 (Brookes login required) for hours claimed at comprehensive rate. This method of payment means that holiday pay will have already been paid in advance and no further pay will be due when this leave is booked and taken, or as payment in lieu.

Other benefits

6.15 ALs receive other benefits largely commensurate with all other University academic employees. This includes Statutory Sick Pay and Occupational Sick Pay, Family Leave (including maternity leave, adoption and surrogacy leave, paternity, co-parent and partner leave, parental leave, and shared parental leave). Employees should refer to their contract of employment and the University’s Employment Policies for full details.

6.16 Rates of pay for the leave types listed in section 6.15 above are determined by looking back at the average earnings in the appropriate qualifying period. Forecasts and actual calculations can be obtained from the Payroll and Pensions Team, and payment is made subject to meeting eligibility criteria and appropriate certification as detailed in the relevant policies and procedures. 

6.17 Alternatively and wholly at the discretion of the People Directorate, a 12-month average period may be used for the calculation of these leave types if the normal 12-week period can be demonstrably shown to be disproportionately and unrepresentative of average earnings.

6.18 ALs are contractually enrolled into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, where eligible and in line with the Teachers' Pension Scheme Regulations. A pay claim must be made within the first three months from the AL’s start date to meet pension enrolment requirements. More information can be found on the Your Pension webpage (Brookes login required).

Induction, training and development

6.19 To ensure that new ALs are fully integrated into the University and the Faculty or Directorate, all new ALs must receive an appropriate induction as per the Associate Lecturer Induction Pack in the Staff Learning Portal (Brookes login required), which includes university mandatory training requirements and role specific training as directed by the Faculty or Directorate. 

6.20 ALs will be paid at the basic hourly rate for their participation in induction and induction-related training, including up to four and a half hours of university mandatory training in the first year of employment and as required for associated refresher training for each year thereafter. There is an expectation that training hours are agreed between the AL and line manager to ensure that university mandatory training requirements are up to date. Details of the mandatory training requirements for ALs and associated completion times are found in Appendix 3 (Brookes login required).

6.21 There is no formal obligation for ALs to undertake developmental activities beyond university mandatory requirements. Any AL who wishes to participate in learning and development activities is encouraged to do so but no payment for time to attend such activities will normally be made.

6.22 Some courses and activities are free to ALs and others will be chargeable. For example, two hours of engagement with the EXPLORE course provided by OCAED are free (paid for by the AL’s Faculty or Directorate) but any additional interaction with the course would need to be voluntary and paid for by the AL. There will be no payment to the AL for attendance.

6.23 Further information about staff development opportunities at Brookes may be found on the Staff Learning Portal (Brookes login required).

Transfers to fractional appointments

6.24 At the commencement of the third year following two successive academic years of working 110 or more hours (at a basic or comprehensive rate and within one faculty), considerations will be given to whether a permanent fractional contract can be offered to the AL. In addition to the number of hours worked, consideration should be given to:

• The regularity of work undertaken by the AL and anticipated regularity in the future.
• The broadness in the scope of the activities undertaken by the AL, assessed against a lecturer or senior lecturer role profile.
• The Faculty or Directorate’s business plan/strategic objectives.
• The University’s existing available skills and resources within its substantive teaching resources.
• The longer-term viability of the course(s) on which the lecturer has an input, which may be informed by student numbers on the course(s) and financial sustainability.
• The staff:student ratio for their area of work compared with how other areas of teaching across the Faculty or Directorate are resourced.
• The availability of funding within local staffing budgets. 

6.25 Where an opportunity to transfer to a fractional contract is available, ALs will be matched against the role profile which best reflects their future duties, skills and experience and potential, which will normally be Lecturer. Fractional appointments will provide a career progression route for teaching staff. Where an AL converts to a fractional appointment they will undertake the roles and responsibilities expected of their grade, and an appropriate timetable will be agreed with their line manager.

6.26 The precise fraction of the contract will be determined by the Faculty or Directorate and discussed with the AL. ALs should be offered a fraction which, at a minimum, preserves their normal earnings as an AL (the fractional contract will then be subject to section 5.6 for any additional hours). As a general rule, a 0.2 FTE is considered equivalent to 110 teaching hours per year (with the expectation of the full range of lecturer duties, beyond teaching only, being applicable).

6.27 Transfers, where appropriate, should be arranged in good time to commence from the beginning of the next semester.

6.28 ALs have the right to decline the offer of a transfer to a fractional contract, and where they do so will not be asked again, unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as the AL being on family leave (including but not limited to maternity leave), even if a fractional contract is deemed available. However, such ALs may request consideration for a transfer to a permanent fractional contract at a later date, should they change their mind, and this will be assessed as described in section 6.24.

6.29 Where a need for a permanent fractional role is identified, which is not being covered by the same AL, the usual recruitment process must be followed. 

Ending of AL contracts

6.30 ALs should refer to their contract of employment for details regarding notice requirements for both the employee or the University to terminate employment. 

6.31 Where ALs are employed on a fixed-term contract basis, line managers must refer to the Fixed-Term Contracts webpage to ensure that contracts are ended, extended, or made permanent in an appropriate and compliant way. 

6.32 Termination of employment by the University will be on the basis of one of the five fair reasons for dismissal in UK employment law, and will follow a fair and reasonable procedure on the same terms as other substantive employees.  

7.1 Line managers are responsible for ensuring compliance with the recruitment process detailed in this policy and ensuring that all new ALs receive the appropriate induction, including the identification and authorisation of any role-specific training requirements.  

7.2 Line managers are responsible for allocating schedules on a semester-by-semester basis and assessing whether or not the nature of any assessment marking is more complex than the norm, allocating additional hours accordingly. 

7.3 Normally AL contracts are provided on a fixed-term basis, and therefore line managers are expected to ensure compliance with the guidance on fixed-term contracts in good time before their expiry, and consider on an annual basis whether the roles their ALs are employed to carry out constitute any permanent fractional contract in line with section 6.24 and by contacting their link People Manager (Brookes login required) for advice where required. 

7.4 All ALs will be allocated a mentor in their first semester (this can often be the Programme or Module Leader, who will receive an allocation for this in their Workload Plan of 2 hours per mentee per year). The mentor will be expected to proactively:

• Familiarise the AL with Moodle.
• Familiarise the AL with programme requirements including marking criteria.
• Observe teaching in the first semester to ensure it is appropriate and congruent with a good student experience and provide feedback to the AL. The mentor will complete the teaching observation planning/feedback sheet accessed.
• Ensure the AL is aware of projects related to the Student Experience.

7.5 The People Directorate is responsible for supporting the implementation of this policy through the provision of advice and guidance, monitoring of AL usage data as described in section 8, and supporting Heads of School in assessing potential transfers to fractional contracts.