Industrial action information for staff

About the current dispute

Why did the Sheffield University and College Union (UCU) re-ballot its members? 

Sheffield UCU’s previous mandate for industrial action over the risk of compulsory redundancies at the University ran from November 2026 to March 2026. In early 2026 the branch re-balloted its members to seek a further mandate for industrial action, again over the risk of compulsory redundancies at the University. 

Is there a risk of compulsory redundancies at the University? 

To address the reduction in international students we have a programme of mitigating actions across the University to reduce costs, and our goal is to move back into an underlying breakeven position by 2028–29. 

Over the financial year 2024 to 2025, we made near equal savings across staff and non-staff costs, with no compulsory redundancies as a result of staff cost reduction measures. We continued to avoid compulsory redundancies into early 2026. 

As of April 2026, there are a small number of colleagues who have left the University through compulsory redundancy following the review of IT Services. 

As we seek to achieve a breakeven position by 2028–29, where we do need to make staff savings, our focus will always be on using voluntary means to deliver these savings wherever possible. Where compulsory redundancies are deemed absolutely necessary, it will be as a last resort. 

Whilst we cannot make an open ended guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, we do have a good track record of making savings through voluntary means. For example, there were no compulsory redundancies from the implementation of the Professional Services Framework in academic schools in 2025, which involved almost 800 colleagues. 

We understand that any amount of change can be difficult. As the external financial environment continues to challenge us, we have a responsibility to make changes to ensure we operate in a financially balanced and stable way. We are determined to ensure we make thoughtful decisions for our future, so that we can emerge from this challenging period as a successful and sustainable institution.

Read more about University finances  

What happened in the previous UCU mandate?

In May 2025, we made a commitment to making no compulsory redundancies that calendar year. In return UCU called off their planned industrial action at that time. 

The branch subsequently asked its members to take 16 days of strike action in November and December 2025, and continuous action short of a strike from 17 November 2025 to March 2026.

Prior to this period of industrial action beginning, and early on during strike action in November, we were in regular discussions with UCU to try to find a resolution to their dispute. The University made four offers with a view to ending industrial action called by UCU. Three offers were made before UCU commenced strike action and one offer after the first three days of action had taken place. These offers included extending our commitment to no compulsory redundancies until October 2026. Unfortunately, UCU did not accept these offers. 

An overview of the offers we have made to UCU, and copies of the offers in full, are available for colleagues to view in Google Drive.

About industrial action

Who can take part in industrial action?

Where a mandate for industrial action is obtained and a trade union calls on its members to take industrial action, those trade union members who were balloted are able to participate in industrial action. It is also possible for staff who choose to join that trade union after the ballot to take part in the industrial action.

Trade union members from unions which do not have a mandate for action, or which are not calling on their members to take industrial action, cannot participate in industrial action.

What is action short of a strike (ASOS)?

ASOS is when trade union members engage in an action that falls short of a full withdrawal of labour, sometimes known as partial performance of the contractual duties.

This can take many forms including a refusal to carry out specific duties or responsibilities.

Under its current mandate, the Sheffield branch of UCU has informed us of its intention to ask its members to take continuous action short of a strike from 7 May 2026, consisting of:

• not covering for absent colleagues, vacant posts, or posts that are discontinued due to change management
• not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled as a result of strike action
• not undertaking any voluntary duties
• not undertaking duties which are not commensurate with the grade of the post
• not using personal devices to conduct work

What is a picket line? Can I cross it? 

During strike action, it is possible that picket lines of striking staff might be present around the University campus outside various buildings. Picketing is a lawful activity where staff who support the strike stand outside their place of work to inform other staff members why they are striking. Pickets should only include individuals who are employed by the University and trade union officials. Picketing should be undertaken peacefully and it must not prevent those who are not striking from going  to work or from continuing doing their usual work. 

UCU has developed guidance on picketing which you may find helpful to review: UCU guidance for branches on picketing

Participating in industrial action 

Who should I inform if I choose to participate in industrial action?

If you take strike action on any of the identified strike days, you must complete the University's strike notification form immediately on your first day of returning to work after any day of strike action. 

We are aware that some staff will not participate in all days of strike action, and staff in this position must complete the strike notification form on each day they are back in work after each and every period of strike action taken. Ensure you click 'submit' when you have completed all of the information.

Impacts on pay, pensions and deductions

What will be the impact on my pay if I take part in strike action?

Participation in strike action will result in a breach of your contract of employment. Consequently, if you choose to take strike action you will have a day’s pay deducted for each day that you are striking. If you choose to take strike action you are required to complete the strike notification form on each non-striking day. The daily rate of pay for calculating pay deductions will be deemed to be 1/365th of the full time equivalent salary, pro-rated for part time staff whose working pattern includes part-day working on strike days. Graduate Teaching Assistants who take action will not be paid for any of the hours of work they were scheduled to undertake.

See, University  principles and approach to pay deductions

How will strike pay deductions appear on my payslip?

Your payslip will show a deduction for the total days of industrial action that will be processed in that month. The deduction will appear coded as either:

• ‘Strike pay adj’ - Strike pay deductions where you have requested that pension contributions are maintained.
• ‘Strike pay TNP’ - Strike pay deductions where you have requested that pension contributions are not maintained.

What happens to pay withheld from staff participating in industrial action?

Pay deducted from those taking industrial action will remain in school/departmental budgets. 

What will be the impact on pay if I take action short of a strike?

We will withhold 100 per cent of pay from staff participating in the following form of ASOS that UCU has called on members to undertake: not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled as a result of strike action. 

At this time, the other forms of ASOS UCU is asking its members to take will not attract pay deductions as we consider their impact will not constitute a breach of contract of employment. 

We will continue to review the impact of other forms of ASOS during this period of industrial action and, if this position changes, we will inform you ahead of any change of position on pay deductions.

The above approach adheres to our long-standing policy position that we do not accept partial performance of contracts of employment. Where participation in ASOS constitutes a breach of contract, the University reserves the right to deduct pay and to withhold up to 100 per cent of pay from staff not fulfilling all express and implied terms of their contracts. Our approach to ASOS is motivated by the interests of our students and our desire to minimise the impact of industrial action upon them - as outlined in our principles and approach to industrial action.

How will ASOS pay deductions be processed?

If you have taken strike action that has resulted in lectures or classes being cancelled, it will be assumed that you are participating in action short of strike, and will be refusing to replace the missed teaching. If you do intend to replace the teaching you missed, you should inform your Head of School and School Director of Education at the earliest opportunity. The University position is that teaching missed due to participation in strike action will be replaced by the end of the teaching period of the current semester (by 22 May), and your Head of School and/or School Director of Education will inform you of any additional local arrangements.

The University expects that all missed teaching will be replaced during the week 18 to 22 May. As per the email sent by the Director of Human Resources on 5 May 2026, the University will withhold 100 per cent of pay from staff who refuse to replace the teaching missed due to their participation in strike action. This is in line with the University’s stated position on partial performance. 

For the avoidance of doubt, the 5 May 2026 email from the Director of Human Resources is the notice of the impact of participating in ASOS that the University is required to give. The University is not required to give notice individually to each person participating.

You are now required to schedule and deliver replacement learning to the satisfaction of your Head of School by 22 May at the latest.

Pay will be withheld from you from 18 to 22 May inclusive if you do not replace the missed teaching, on the basis that you will be in breach of your contract of employment. The breach would be that you would not be ready and willing to fulfil your contractual duties in their entirety during this period. 

Heads of School will make Human Resources aware of anyone who has participated in action short of strike by not replacing missed teaching. Human Resources will email each person who participated in the ASOS by refusing to replace lost learning to confirm that pay is due to be withheld, and for what dates, as well as to clarify the impact on pension contributions.

Any work that individuals do whilst pay is being withheld, whether in the University, at home, or elsewhere, will be voluntary on their part. You will not be allocated any other work.

If I take part in strike action and agree to replace lost learning, will I be paid for doing so?

Yes. Where satisfactory arrangements, as determined by the Head of School and/or School Director of Education, for replacing the lost learning have been made, and you deliver the replacement learning, you will be paid as normal. Your Head of School will also provide guidance on what work should be deprioritised to provide you with time to undertake this replacement learning if needed.

What is the impact on pay for GTAs/casual workers?

Casual workers and GTAs who plan on withdrawing their labour in support of industrial action will not be paid for any work missed on those days. 

GTAs and casual workers who participate in industrial action should complete the strike notification form and should not claim hours that they had planned/been scheduled to work.

In the event that a teaching session is cancelled because of the lead academic’s participation in strike action, GTAs who were scheduled to support these sessions (and are not participating in the action themselves) should be paid for that time.

What is the impact on USS pensions where pay deductions are applied?

The default position will be that the University will pay the employer’s contribution as though you have worked on each day of industrial action and will deduct any employee’s contributions you would normally pay (including any additional contributions), based on the full notional pensionable pay you would have earned had you not taken industrial action. This will mean USS membership will not be affected during the industrial action period.

If you do not want your normal USS pension contributions to be deducted, you must indicate this on your notification forms. Please note that in this situation, you will not accrue pension benefits for that period. 

We can confirm however that, for the period of the currently-stated days of industrial action, USS has put in place arrangements for death in service and ill health cover to remain in place where full contributions are not maintained.

Work during industrial action

What is the University’s approach to lost learning?

The University’s position is that all learning lost due to industrial action must be replaced and that a failure to do so constitutes a breach of contract, which aligns with the Office for Students (OfS) expectations for institutions during industrial action, which we must adhere to. These expectations include:

• prioritise the delivery of education when implementing contingency plans – in the first place, avoiding any impact on students; 
• where this cannot be done, mitigating the impact on students through delivery of education with as few changes as possible; 
• where this cannot be done, timely repeat performance of any missed or significantly disrupted teaching, assessment, or other promised aspects of students’ experience.

What is the impact on my other work if my pay is being withheld for participating in ASOS?

Any work that individuals do whilst pay is being withheld, whether in the University, at home, or elsewhere, will be voluntary on their part. You will not be allocated any other work. This will only apply for the period that pay is being withheld for participation in ASOS, which, at this time, would be 18 to 22 May in most cases. 

If I don’t take part in industrial action and am asked by my manager to cover for a colleague who is taking industrial action, is this ok?

During industrial action, all staff are asked to prioritise student-facing activities and those disrupted by strike action, which may mean schools and departments may require flexibility in what work is undertaken to enable this. 

You should only be asked to undertake any duties which are grade appropriate, and for which you are suitably skilled and/or trained. Your manager should ensure that you are aware of what work to prioritise and de-prioritise. There may be situations where your manager seeks a level of flexibility in terms of covering duties which fall outside of your normal role. If you or your manager are unsure what may be deemed reasonable, you are advised to seek HR support.

Our focus during any period of industrial action is on our students and ensuring they receive the education to which they are entitled and are able to progress and graduate from their programmes of study. We are conscious not only of our contractual obligations to our students but also of the moral duty to support them and to ensure the hard work they put into their studies is recognised. This is particularly important for students graduating where the impact of industrial action risks preventing them from taking up future employment or further study. 

We are aware that UCU is asking staff who do not participate in strike action to not support with the replacement of lost learning or other activities disrupted as a result of others’ participation in the action. It is reasonable for managers to ask for flexibility and so staff not participating in industrial action are expected to follow reasonable management instructions. Staff who do not do this may be considered as participating in the industrial action in the form of ASOS, and will be subject to the process for recording participation and pay deductions.

Can my Head of School ask me to carry out work that was not carried out due to my participation in strike action?

Yes, it is a reasonable management instruction to require staff who have taken strike action or are participating in ASOS to reschedule and teach sessions cancelled or replace other work disrupted due to strike action. Managers will be clear with you what work should be prioritised and de-prioritised.

Can my Head of School ask me to carry out work that is covered by action short of a strike?

Yes, it is a reasonable management request for your Head of Department (or line manager) to ask you to do work that is covered by UCU’s ASOS. If you are refusing to do this work because you are taking action short of strike, you must tell your Head of Department (or line manager) when asked.

Can I work from home or take annual leave during industrial action?

We are aware that many staff take a hybrid working approach, so may already be doing some work from home. However, we wish to ensure that there is adequate cover during periods of industrial action so that we can maintain services as much as possible, provide adequate support for students, and reduce any possible impacts on learning and education. Therefore, requests to work from home or to take annual leave might not be agreed during periods of industrial action unless it is a contractually agreed  working pattern or in exceptional circumstances.

We acknowledge that there will be circumstances where such requests can, and should, be agreed, and this is not intended to be a blanket ban on people taking time off or working flexibly. Please speak to your manager to determine what will be possible.

Note: If agreements were made before the University received the notification of strike action from the trade unions, we expect these agreements to be honoured.

If I participate in action short of strike, and I cannot log in to my University account without using the Duo app on my personal mobile phone. Is there an alternative way to login?

Yes, you can get an MFA hardware token from IT Services, available from the Computing Centre on Hounsfield Road. 

After a period of industrial action, what work should I prioritise?

Our aim during industrial action is to minimise the impact on students. For this reason, staff are expected to prioritise student-facing activities. If colleagues are unsure, they should seek advice from their School Executive Team.

Visas

I’m an international member of staff. Will taking part in strike action have an impact on my Tier 2/Skilled Worker sponsorship?

Tier 2 and Skilled Worker visa holders will not be penalised for some absences from paid work in the UK, which includes engaging in legally-organised industrial action. This means that a Tier 2/Skilled Worker visa holder's leave to remain will not be affected if such absences cause their salary to fall below the required threshold. If a sponsored worker is absent because they are participating in industrial action which has not been legally organised, this will be considered as an unauthorised absence and can lead to failure to act in accordance with stated visa conditions

I am an international staff member but I am not sponsored as a Tier 2/Skilled worker. Will taking part in strike action have an impact on my visa?

There is no specific impact on visa status for someone taking part in strike action. However, if you are extending your family visa or applying for indefinite leave to remain as the family member of a British/settled national, please be aware that the UKVI has eligibility criteria around proof of income. There are numerous ways this can be evidenced, including income from a partner or reliance on savings. The immigration rules and guidance do not permit any reduction to the income level that needs to be met on the grounds of taking part in strike action. We would recommend seeking independent legal advice if you are concerned as to how to provide evidence demonstrating that you meet relevant financial thresholds.

Further information about the required proof of income can be found on UK Visa and Immigration web pages.

Health, safety and wellbeing

How do you support staff during the industrial action?

During industrial action, your Head of School/Department, or their nominated deputy, should be in touch with information on action, and support for you. Please speak to them, or your immediate line manager, if you have any questions or concerns. You can also email industrial.action@sheffield.ac.uk

The staff wellbeing web pages offer a number of routes for general support.

Has an equality impact assessment been completed on the University's approach to withholding pay?

Yes, please see our equality impact assessment for ASOS pay deductions

Has a stress risk assessment been undertaken for the impact of the strikes and pay deductions?

Yes, please see the stress risk assessment

Do we require a departmental health and safety representative and a trained first aider during strike action?

There is no legal requirement for a departmental health and safety representative. If your trained first aider is on strike or absent and your department requires first aid response, please call security control (ext 4444), who will provide first aid response as needed.