University's third staff exit scheme in three years

6 hours ago

Jason Arunn MurugesuNorth East and Cumbria

The university says it wants to build its "sustained financial capacity"

Getty Medieval castle building on a summer's day with blue skies and clouds. The build has white sandstone brick and has turrets and dozens of arched windows. It is a large building surrounding a manicured courtyard. Shadows cover some of the building. — The university says it wants to build its "sustained financial capacity"

A university is running a voluntary severance scheme for the third year running after saying it was in a "secure financial position".

Durham University said the scheme would help ensure it built up the "sustained financial capacity" required to invest in its priorities. It said the plan did not come with savings targets.

However, the University and College Union (UCU) questioned why the university was running the scheme if it was in a healthy financial position.

The university said its costs were projected to rise faster than its income and the move would help maintain a "sound financial position".

Durham UCU said it was worried staff losses would lead to an increased workload for those who remained and the university needed a plan to counter this.

A spokesperson said: "The university must explain how departing colleagues will be replaced. [Otherwise] the work will fall on those who remain, just as it did last time."

They said last year's scheme led to one in 20 staff leaving.

'Impact on workloads'

The university said it monitored staff workload and in 2025 it rejected many voluntary severance applications because of this.

A spokesperson also said the institution had pursued "proactive and prudent financial management" in the face of "acute financial pressures" facing British universities.

It said the voluntary scheme would run from 9 November to 7 December and applications would be considered based on teaching, research and wider operational needs - including the impact on workloads.

It said: "Voluntary severance gives academic colleagues an opportunity to consider their future plans.

"It also helps the university to create sustained financial capacity to invest in priorities aligned to our strategy."

Earlier this year university staff took industrial action over a row about workload pressures.

It followed the university losing more than 200 staff through the voluntary severance process in the previous two academic years, as part of £20m of savings it said it had to make.