Professional services staff at the University of Brighton have reached a deal with the institution that will see them gain up to seven extra days of paid holiday each year.

Library assistants, administrators and IT workers will be among those benefiting, but their annual leave allowance will still lag behind that of academic colleagues.

Unison has long campaigned over discrepancies between the benefits enjoyed by academics and professional services staff across UK universities. 

At Brighton, under the terms of the agreement, which has helped avert industrial action, full-time professional services staff on grades one to nine from September will now receive 30 days of holiday from their first day of employment.

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Academic staff will still receive 35 days of holiday, and Unison said it will continue to push for the same annual leave allowance across all employees of the university. 

The move will see those on the lowest pay receive an extra seven days of holiday in total, and Unison said that the announcement marks a “significant uplift” and “removes the linking of leave allowance to job role or service length”.

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The university has also agreed to review pay-grade thresholds for the lowest-paid workers as part of the deal.

Ivan Bonsall, the Unison branch secretary at Brighton, said that professional services staff are the “backbone of the university”.

“Despite their contribution, they’re treated differently to academic staff while often working longer hours and receiving fewer paid holidays. This decision is a step forward but Unison’s fight for equal holiday entitlement continues.”

A University of Brighton spokesperson said: “We value our constructive relationship with Unison and have been discussing a range of issues affecting staff, including an equitable approach to annual leave entitlements across the university. 

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“It is important to us that any changes are communicated first and directly with staff. Until that has happened, it would not be appropriate to comment further or confirm any details.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com