A wage discrepancy at one of Oxford University’s constituent colleges has prompted a trade union to advise employees across the institution to verify their compensation entitlements.
Support staff employed at Hertford College were recently informed that a payroll processing error had resulted in thousands of pounds in unpaid holiday compensation going unaddressed for several years.
The oversight specifically involved overtime earnings that should have been factored into holiday pay calculations.
The University and College Union is now urging personnel at all Oxford colleges to examine their employment contracts carefully, particularly regarding overtime compensation in relation to holiday pay.
The union’s guidance highlights that entitlement rules fluctuate based on contract classification.
Employees engaged in regular overtime work, whether employed full-time or part-time, may possess legitimate claims for backdated holiday pay incorporating those supplementary earnings.
Investigations by the casework team have substantiated individual payouts reaching several thousand pounds, according to the union.
Affected roles spanned multiple departments, including building maintenance, food service, and cleaning operations.
The union has distributed illustrative scenarios demonstrating the additional compensation that workers should anticipate receiving beyond standard overtime remuneration.
Specific guidance addresses part-year staff and those with unpredictable working patterns, who typically qualify for supplementary holiday compensation beyond their standard hourly earnings.
A separate inquiry by student journalists at the Cherwell publication in April uncovered that more than a quarter of Oxford’s constituent colleges were failing to meet the institution’s own living wage requirements.
The university has yet to respond to requests for clarification on these findings.