Ensuring fair and consistent pay and benefits for our outsourced colleagues

Since 2021, following successful engagement with our contracted suppliers and their recognised trade union UNISON in 2019, we’ve been working to ensure UCL’s eligible frontline outsourced staff have been on equivalent pay and benefits to colleagues directly employed by UCL. 

In 2024, two reviews found that some of these enhancements had not been implemented as intended, or been applied consistently by all of our suppliers. 

We have worked with our contracted suppliers to clarify the terms of this agreement and ensure the enhancements to outsourced colleagues’ pay and benefits are being implemented fairly and consistently. 

Eligibility for enhanced pay and benefits 

We have clarified the conditions of the agreement, including which roles are eligible for parity of pay and benefits, which in summary sets out the following: 

• Parity of pay and benefits applies to front line roles within cleaning, catering, portering and security where the role holder works exclusively on a UCL contract as part of their position. This includes staff graded up to and including Grade 7 where this grade has been confirmed with UCL HR. 
• Parity of pay and benefits does not apply to: 
  • HQ, overhead and support staff  
  • Temporary staff. 
  • Management, other than frontline direct management/supervisory. roles that are up to and including Grade 7 equivalent. 
  • Any staff/employees that are Grade 8 or above. 

Impact on outsourced staff 

As a result of the clarification of the terms of the parity agreement, a small number of outsourced colleagues may see a reduction in pay and benefits. 

This includes staff employed by UCL through our contractor companies Bidvest Noonan, CH&Co, Sodexo, Vinci and Compass Group. 

Our outsourced colleagues are valued members of the UCL community, fulfilling an essential role on which we all depend. We will be working closely with contracted suppliers as they consult with staff to explain the changes and let impacted staff know how they can access any support.