On 1 August 2023, staff on all grades received a pay uplift which will bring the overall award this year for all staff to a total at least 5%.

This is because the University of Sussex will be implementing the University and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) pay uplift.

The UCEA pay offer

As you may be aware, UCEA (which represents 145 higher education employers, including the University of Sussex) conducted collective pay negotiations with the five HE trade unions in January 2023. Negotiations took place through the Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (JNCHES).

UCEA made a final offer for an uplift of up to 8% for the lowest points on the pay spine, with a minimum increase of 5% for staff above spinal point 25. The offer also provided for the uplift to be split into two parts across the year, with an interim uplift on 1 February 2023. In line with UCEA’s recommendations this was implemented for all staff in March, and backdated. This uplift in March saw all spinal points receive an increase of at least £1,000 per annum. The remainder of the increase will be effective from 1 August 2023.

More information is available on the UCEA Website, including the UCEA Uplift Letter – 24 February 2023, which outlines the pay offer.

Changes to our spinal points

It is important to note that whilst 8% was proposed by UCEA for the lowest pay spine points, as we are a Real Living Wage employer, the University of Sussex grade structure already starts at a higher spine point than some of the sector.  As a result, given our local salary scale starts at point 10, a 7% total uplift has been applied to this spine point in line with the UCEA recommendations.

Over and above the interim uplift (in February), the increases for the second part of the pay offer will be applied in August. This will bring the total uplift (i.e. February and August combined) to be as follows:

The updated pay scales from 1 August are available on the HR webpages.