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Executive summary

2009 UCL Staff Survey

2380 staff participated in UCL's first all-staff attitude survey which was conducted at the end of 2004/ early 2005, a 31% response rate. The sample was broadly representative of UCL's staff profile.

The survey focused on staff perceptions of UCL as a place to work and the extent to which its equal opportunity policies had made a difference in practice.

Some of the survey findings confirmed areas where UCL had already identified the need for change and was taking action. Some of these changes were in response to national HE sector initiatives and other local initiatives. There are also other unidentified areas where staff felt there was room for improvement. All of these were incorporated into an action plan.

In anticipation of the next UCL all-staff attitude survey, which will run from 9 - 27 March 2009, we thought it would be helpful to remind staff of the key themes that emerged and the actions that took place in response.

What People Said – What We Did

You said:

• we want better staff management

We did:

• introduce management competencies to set clear and consistent standards expected of UCL’s managers
• develop tailored leadership and management development programmes
• increase the proportion of managers undertaking management training by 10%
• increase management courses offered by over 60%
• set standards for all staff to have meaningful appraisal at least every two years. 90% of appraisals are now completed
• increase six fold the number of appraisal courses run

You said:

• we want less of a divide between academic and support staff

We did:

• harmonise pay structures and terms and conditions
• ensure common management competencies
• increase annual leave for support staff
• increase training take up to an average of 3 days per person per year

You said:

• we want increased commitment to equality of opportunity

We did:

• introduce online diversity training for all new staff
• equality action planning in all UCL departments
• race equality training in all UCL departments
• promote  equality through DEOLOs
• put initiatives in place to promote diverse representation on committees and working groups

You said:

• we’d like better support  for staff

We did:

• ensure access to an independent  and confidential Employee Assistance Programme, incl. out of hours for staff and their families
• promote a work-life balance policy
• promote the staff counselling service
• promote the staff mediation service

• improve the harassment and bullying complaints procedure

We did:

• revise the Harassment / Bullying Policy to encourage speedier and more satisfactory resolutions
• promote a poster campaign to further publicise Harassment Advisors
• promote an anti- bullying and harassment culture

You said:

• promote inclusive working and better access for disabled staff

We did:

• develop UCL’s Disability Equality Strategy and three year action plan in conjunction with disabled staff
• promote help and support available through UCL’s disability website
• develop a new role for UCL’s Equal Opportunities Officer as first point of information for disabled staff
• promote disability awareness training for staff
• ensure Occupational Health advice and support on reasonable adjustments

You said:

• better career development for BME and women staff

We did:

• set up a pilot mentoring project for women in the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences
• become a founder member of the Swan charter to advance women in Science, Engineering and Technology
• develop a UCL Gender Equality Scheme and held a UCL wide gender equality event
• deliver workshops, including a women only workshop, on promotion criteria and procedures
• provide for one term of sabbatical leave without teaching commitments for research active academics returning from maternity, adoption, extended carer, or long term sickness leave.
• undertake an equal pay audit

• we’d like better information about HR roles and responsibilities

We did:

• Update the HR website:
  
  
• HR staff roles and contacts
• HR policies and guidance
• publish workforce monitoring data
  
  
• more closely align HR Consultancy teams  to and within Faculties
• hold an annual HR Fair