Hi all.

Im working in a research post, and have done so for about 3yrs. I have the opportunity to start a new research contract at the same institution, but I am tired of working on short-term contracts. I heard somewhere that after a certain period of time (4yrs?) the contract may be ‘considered permanent’, but this all sounds fairly vague to me. Is anyone able to elaborate? It would be nice to buy a house one day…

i don’t know the exact details but i do know friends in academia who have been right royally screwed by certain institutions at the end of fixed term contracts. best option is to talk to union rep. Given the current financial climate within academia i’d seek advice from someone on the inside.

depends on the institute ours does and i am now ‘non time limited’

all it means is that if my money runs out (as has happened to me once) or team leader is fired/quits (as has happened to me once) or your boss tells you shes moving institutes (as happened to me yesterday) then they have to offer you another job, however it can be any job and they do not guarantee to maintain your current salary – failing that they have to offer you a modest redundancy

i love science

I think there’s definitely scope for that, I work in a university and know people who have transferred to permanent contracts over time, but I don’t know the details – you’d need to talk to your HR dept. The employment law regs should be clear.

Good luck with it anyhow, the short term contract cycle for researchers seems rough. So if you can get a firm decision on a permanent contract, even if it’s a no, then that sounds best. You don’t want to be signing your nth 2 year contract in ten years time.

I heard somewhere that after a certain period of time (4yrs?) the contract may be ‘considered permanent’,

i believe this means that you get the legal rights of a permanent employee, not the permanent contract. I think it is 3 years not 4.

HTH

as said above it means you get a modest redundancy

Found this on the website:

The Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 set out that employees have the right to have their contracts automatically converted to open-ended ones after four years (and provided your contract has already been renewed at least once) unless there is an objective justification for continued employment on a fixed term basis.

Still a bit vague.

basically that reads as ‘you have the right to convert to open-ended unless we don’t want you to’

that’s how they got a few people at a friends institution, they went through the union in the end after 10 years of fixed term renewals.

Hmm. Doens’t sound particularly promising then.

I was never clear about this at the uni i used to work out. There were various stories of different practise from all over the same institution. I think i means they have to try and find you something, anything open ended. I suspect some employers would offer something you didn’t want, or string the process out for as long as possible so you give up.

it’ll depend massively on school/departmental policies and HR departments i reckon. If they are actively looking to reduce staffing levels (as most are) then it probably isn’t too hopeful. But you might be massively important to research funding/RAE etc so start kissing those asses 😉

i would say no. I was a research assistant for over 4 years. I was initially on a 1 year contract but that was extended annually. But when the money ran out that was it – although I did get 4 years worth of redundancy money which was a bonus. I think most research posts are project specific – if there is money in the pot they will keep you. Nowadays, the money in the pot isn’t what it used to be.

pretty much as above (I just took redundancy as my fixed term funding had run out, and although another research position was offered, I had had enough after 7 years) – you essentially become permanent after a fixed amount of time, however, they tend to view you as tenured. Best advice is speak to your union rep – it will likely be UCU and they have a handbook guide, explaining everything. FWI worth redundancy worked out about 3 weeks pay for every year I was there.