Rights and responsibilities

The national picture

Employment conditions for research staff are beginning to change in recognition of the importance of your contribution to the UK economy and the UK's competitiveness and standing in the world.

Since 2002 there has been a Government Review SET for Success, a European Charter for researchers and a European Directive, which have had a far-reaching impact on the employment terms and conditions for research staff.

These policy initiatives have been subsumed into a revised Concordat for the career development of research staff (2008), which provides a ‘modus operandi' for research staff, universities and funders of research.

The key messages of the Concordat are that:

• employers and funders should provide for equal and fair terms and conditions of the recruitment and employment for all research staff
• research staff should have access to, and be encouraged to participate in, personal and career development
• research staff share the responsibility for their development and should seek out and avail themselves of opportunities to develop.

Institutional rights and responsibilities

In practice this means that you should receive (and pro-actively engage with):

• induction to the institution, the department and the role
• a probationary period  to offer a period of protected development (if appropriate)
• regular professional development review
• representation on institutional and departmental committees, as appropriate
• acknowledgement of your intellectual property in the writing of research applications and publications and the commercialisation of research
• the same rights and responsibilities under UK and European law as any other employee.

Work-related stress

Under UK law, employers have a legal duty of care to ensure their employees are not harmed by work-related stress. They also have a duty to assess the risk arising from hazards at work, including stress. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for auditing organisations and ensuring that they reach the nationally agreed standards for managing work-related stress.

Bullying and harassment

Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at work and employers are responsible for preventing bullying and harassing behaviour in the workplace. Bullying and harassment can create a huge amount of stress and it is important, although often not easy, to recognise and address it.

Harrassment is defined as:

unwanted conduct affecting the dignity of men and women in the workplace. It may be related to age, sex, race, disability, religion, nationality or any personal characteristic of the individual, and may be persistent or an isolated incident. The key is that the actions or comments are viewed as demeaning and unacceptable to the recipient.

Bullying and harassment at work: guidance for employees. Acas

Bullying is defined as:

offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.

Bullying and harassment at work: guidance for employees. Acas

If you think that you may be a victim of harassment or bullying, contact your personnel or human resources department for more information on your university's harassment and bullying policy.