Voluntary Severance Scheme
1.
Context
The University is part of a higher education environment which offers many challenges and
opportunities. Some of these may at times necessitate organisational restructuring and
reductions of staff. Where possible, the University is committed to achieving reductions on a
voluntary basis and believes that the availability of a Voluntary Severance Scheme will assist in
this process and provide the opportunity to create a sustainable staffing profile appropriate to
the University’s plans and needs for the future.
2.
Scope
The circumstances under which expressions of interest for voluntary severance will be invited
will normally be where a defined area (such as a Department or subject area) needs to address
a fall in student numbers, a budget shortfall or undertake restructuring for some other reason
that will result in staffing reductions. When such a situation arises the University will notify
staff employed in that area that applications for voluntary severance are being invited and the
timescales for such applications. On rare occasion, voluntary severance applications may be
invited from across the whole University1.
3.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a severance payment under this Scheme applicants must have been
employed at the University for a minimum of two years (as with legal redundancy provisions),
be in a permanent post and must not have resigned or have accepted another post (internal or
external to the University) at the time of application.
4.
Severance Payments
The voluntary severance payment is calculated as follows (with the exception in section 4.1.
below):
3 weeks’ contractual pay for each year of service (up to a maximum of 20 years)
Access to pensions will vary depending on the pension scheme and age at date of leaving.
4.1 Exception – Member of the Local Government Pension Scheme and over 55 years
The rules of the LGPS are such that if a member of staff is made redundant over 55 years, a
compensatory payment must be made to the scheme because pension is automatically
released. This can be substantial in some cases. Because of this, a reduced calculation in line
with the statutory redundancy scheme will be used for those members of staff who are over
55 years and in the LGPS as follows:
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Note: the enhanced voluntary severance offer and scheme will not apply in a potential compulsory redundancy situation
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0.5 week’s pay for service from age 18 to 21; 1 week’s pay for service from age 22 to 40; and
1.5 weeks’ pay for service from age 41 (to a maximum of 20 years’ service)
5.
Applications for Estimates
Where it has been deemed appropriate to invite applications for voluntary severance, staff
employed in the relevant area (this could be an entire Faculty/Department or a team within it)
may request a confidential estimate of the severance package they would receive if they make
a successful application by completing the Estimate request form (Appendix 1).
Applications for estimates will be treated by the HR department in the strictest of confidence.
The HR team will aim to respond to requests for estimates as quickly as possible.
6.
Applications for Voluntary Severance
Staff wishing to apply for severance should complete the application form at Appendix 2 and
forward this to the Human Resources Department.
There can be no guarantee that applications will be approved. The appropriate Dean of
Faculty/Director of Service together with a member of the Vice Chancellor’s team and the
Director of Human Resources will make final decisions. They will ensure that appropriate
flexibility is considered to allow applications to be approved where this is at all possible, and
that the criteria for approval of applications are applied equally in all cases.
7.
Criteria for Approval
The following criteria will be used to determine which applications will be supported and
which will not:




Current operational requirements of the Faculty/ Department
Anticipated future operational requirements of the Faculty / Department
The target for reduction required by the Faculty/ Department
Equal Opportunities considerations (to ensure that there is no discrimination in the
consideration of applications).
 The financial viability of the application
 The skill mix/specialisms available within the Faculty/Department
8.
Timetable
Where a voluntary severance process is announced, a clear timetable will be determined and
communicated to staff. This will set out the:
 Period in which severance estimates can be applied for
 Deadline for submitting an application for consideration
 Deadline for decisions to be made and communicated to staff.
9.
Leaving Dates
Leaving dates will be agreed on an individual basis and in consultation with the employee by
the Dean of Faculty/Director of Service, however an indication of the desired severance date
will be communicated when the voluntary severance process is launched.
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10.
Appeal
There is no right of appeal against applications being unsuccessful. The Dean of
Faculty/Director of Service will provide reasons for the application not being supported on
request from the individual member of staff.
11.
Re-employment of Staff Accepted for Voluntary Severance
The University will not normally re-employ staff, either on a permanent or temporary basis,
who take advantage of a voluntary severance offer. This includes serving as an hourly paid
lecturer or casual employee. Any exceptions to this would need to be specific, time limited
and agreed in advance between the University and member of staff.
12.
Further Information and Support for Staff
Further information on this process is available from the Human Resources Department.
Trade Union representatives can also offer advice to staff.
13.
Applications for ‘Partial Severance’
Depending on the circumstances, in inviting applications for voluntary severance the University
may also invite staff to apply to reduce their contractual hours of work on a permanent basis
and receive a pro-rata payment at the time of the effective date.
Payments will be calculated on a pro rata basis on the basis of 3 weeks’ pay for each
completed year of service with the University (up to a maximum of 20 years). Please note that
previous employment will not be counted for these purposes.
Where applications are approved staff will be unable to increase hours in the future either in
their current post or in a different post. The minimum reduction in hours will be 0.2 fte.
By way of example:
A full time member of staff (notionally 37 hours per week) wishes to reduce to a 0.6 contract
of employment on a permanent basis (22.2 hours per week).
With 10 years’ service with the University and a gross salary of £350 per week, the full
severance package would be £10,500. In reducing from a full time contract to a 0.6 contract
the partial severance payment would be £4,200 (0.4 of the full severance package).
Where partial severance applications will be considered by the University, employees can
apply for a confidential estimate of payments using Appendix 3. An application for a
permanent reduction in hours should be made using the form at Appendix 4.
The process and timetable for considering such applications will reflect the voluntary
severance process.
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Appendix 1
York St John University
Voluntary Severance Scheme
Request for an Estimate (Strictly Confidential)
Name:
Department/Faculty:
Job Title:
Proposed Date of Leaving*
Date of Birth:
Age at Date of Leaving
Service start date with
York St John University:
Previous Continuous
Service:
Please detail previous local authority employment, if applicable, such as
Local Government, Further Education or post-92 Higher Education**.
From:
To:
Employer:
From:
To:
Employer:
From:
To:
Employer:
Previous Redundancy
Payments:
Have you received any redundancy payments from a previous employer?
Yes / No If yes please give details:
Employee Declaration
I confirm that the details shown above are correct. I understand the
information provided by me will be used as a basis for calculating my
severance estimate.
Signed:
Date:
* If you are unsure what date to include here, please contact the HR Department.
** the Redundancy Payment Modifications Order 1999 designates that all local authority employers,
including those that were once under local authority control, be a single employer for redundancy
purposes and that any previous unbroken service in such employment should count towards
continuity of service for redundancy payments.
Please return this form to the Human Resources Department.
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Appendix 2
York St John University
Voluntary Severance Scheme
Application for Voluntary Severance
Personal Details
Name:
Address:
Nat. Ins. No
Date of Birth
Age
Service start date with York
St John
Preferred Leaving Date:
I wish to be considered for voluntary severance. I understand that my application will
be considered against the criteria agreed for this exercise and there will be no
automatic right to a severance package.
Signed
Date:
Please return this form to the Human Resources Department
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Appendix 3
York St John University
Voluntary Severance Scheme: Partial Severance
Request for an Estimate (Strictly Confidential)
Name:
Faculty/Department:
Job Title:
Proposed Date of Hours
Reduction*
Current contractual hours per
week:
Proposed reduced contractual
hours per week:
Date of Birth:
Age at Date of hours
reduction:
Service start date with York
St John University:
Employee Declaration
I confirm that the details shown above are correct. I understand the
information provided by me will be used as a basis for calculating my
estimate.
Signed:
Date:
* If you are unsure what date to include here, please contact the HR Department.
Please return this form to the Human Resources Department.
Appendix 4
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York St John University
Voluntary Severance Scheme: Partial Severance
Application for Partial Severance
Personal Details
Name:
Address:
Nat. Ins. No
Date of Birth
Age
Service start date with York
St John
Current contractual hours
per week:
Proposed reduced
contractual hours per week:
Preferred date of hours
reduction:
I wish to be considered for a permanent reduction in my contractual hours of work. I
understand that my application will be considered against the criteria agreed for this
exercise and that if this application is approved I will not be able to increase my
contractual hours with the University in future.
Signed
Date:
Please return this form to the Human Resources Department.
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