Human Resources

Leaving arrangements

The following conditions apply to all categories of staff on leaving the University's employment, and constitute part of the conditions of service. These conditions also apply, where relevant, to any visitors to the University (i.e. those with unsalaried visiting status who are working at the University) and constitute a condition of according visitor status.

For ease of reference, the leaving arrangements have been grouped under the following headings:

  1. Requirements for all staff

    Well in advance of leaving, staff are required to:
    1. Contact Human Resources regarding  
      1. arrangements for transfer or deferment of pension, if applicable;
      2. settlement of any loan;
      3. leaving a forwarding address;
      4. identity of future employer (this applies to teaching and research faculty for the HESA return);
      5. collection of P45 (your new employer will need this to avoid placing you on a temporary tax code); and
      6. arrangements for payment of final salary;
    2. Leave with the Human Resources Office their staff membership card on their last working day.
    3. Ensure that any shared mailbox accounts you own are transferred to someone else.  For further guidance please refer to IT pages for further information.  
    4. Review their paper and electronic records and files according to the Records Management Policy. If they have any queries about records management, they should contact the Information Management team.  
      1. If they are the owner of certain master records, they  should consult the Master Records Retention Schedule to see how long master records should be retained and what the recommended disposal action is following the end of the retention period. If master records are still within their retention period, they should discuss their future with a linemanager. 
      2. They should dispose any records and files that are no longer required. Records that are no longer in general use or replaced or outdated, should be deleted when they are no longer needed. Paper records should be disposed confidentially and securely by using confidential waste bins and files in OneDrive and Box deleted. 
      3. They should make sure that access is reassigned for records and files in Box and files moved out of OneDrive that are still required by other staff. For further guidance please refer to IT pages  
      4. Regardless of the format if they think a record or file has a historical value and should be archived, they should contact the University Collections team. 
  1. For staff and visitors who use laboratory facilities

    All staff and visitors must adhere to the following leaving arrangements where relevant:
    1. Laboratory benches, freezers and fridges must be cleaned and unwanted reagents properly disposed of, including biohazardous and radioisotope waste, and used scintillation vials. This disposal must be certified as complete by the appropriate School/Unit Safety Supervisor using the form attached 'EXIT (SAFETY) EX1'. If reagents are to be retained, arrangements must be made to transfer them to a colleague who has the appropriate expertise to handle them. If in doubt, please consult the Building & Resources Manager.

      In the case of stocks of radioactive materials, those to be retained must be transferred formally to another licensed user of radioactive materials and a record of the transfer sent to the University Safety Office.

      Records of the disposal of the remaining stocks of radionuclides must be made on the standard disposal forms, copies of which must be sent to the University Safety Office. Staff possessing radionuclides should check with the University Safety Office that the above procedures have accounted for all the stocks of material on their last audit return.
    2. Clearly labelled and well-organised laboratory results must be left with grant, contract or consultancy holders.

      If a research project is continuing at the University, non-clinical data, copies of literature and other research materials (including results and partially or fully analysed data) generated on projects undertaken in the University must be left in the School or Unit with the grant holder, the Dean or Head of Unit. Subject to the conditions of individual grants, contracts or consultancies, duplicates of results and data may be removed with permission, normally of the grant/contract holder and Dean or Head of Unit; or, where the Dean or Head of Unit is leaving, the grant/contract holder and the Dean or Head of Unit designate. Access to the originals will be available through the grant-holder responsible for the original data left at the School or Unit.

      If a research project is transferring to another institution, non-clinical data, copies of literature and other research materials generated on projects undertaken in the University may be transferred to the new institution, subject to the agreement of the grant-holder or supervisor and the Dean or Head of Unit, and subject to any agreements concerning intellectual property rights.

      Clinical data may not be removed from the School or Unit.
    3. If a research project is continuing at the University, original laboratory reagents (organisms, genetic material, immunological reagents, biochemical material etc) may not be taken from the School or Unit. However, when appropriate, and with the agreement of the grant-holder or supervisor and Dean or Head of Unit, spare material or duplicates may be taken away.

      If a research project is transferring to another institution, original laboratory reagents (organisms, genetic material, immunological reagents, biochemical material etc) may be transferred to the new institution, subject to the agreement of the grant-holder or supervisor and the Dean or Head of Unit, and subject to any agreements concerning intellectual property rights.
    4. Anyone who has been working with biological agents for which routine medical screening is required must make an appointment with the University Occupational Medical Officer so that a final blood sample can be taken before leaving the School/Unit.
    5. Research materials must be left in a state that will allow other staff to complete the projects.
    6. When the member of staff is a grant-holder for a project, arrangements must be made with the Dean or Head of Unit to ensure satisfactory completion of the work.
    7. All keys must be submitted to the person responsible for keys in the relevant building(s) by not later than 17.00 hours on the last working day.
    8. Home Office Licences must be submitted to the Building & Resources Manager, who should be informed about the transfer or termination of any licences.
    9. Personal laboratory equipment, including timers, pipettes, laboratory coats, etc should be returned to the grant-holder responsible.
    10. Thermoluminescent and other personal dosimeters should be returned to the University Radiation Protection Advisor.
    11. Records of biological agents held and how they have been dealt with should be made on form EXIT (SAFETY) EX1, copies of which must be sent to the Biological Safety Officer and the Building & Resources Manager.
    12. Records of radioactive materials held, and how they have been dealt with, must be recorded on form EX1, copies of which must be sent to USRPA and the School/Building Radiation Protection Supervisor.
    13. Staff who need assistance in clearing laboratories because of the scale or nature of the exercise should consult their Building & Resource Manager at the earliest opportunity. The Building & Resource Manager will arrange for appropriate assistance within the constraints of available resources.
  2. For staff undertaking research funded by grants, contracts, consultancies or other 'soft' sources
    1. Any individual who is the budget holder for a grant, contract or consultancy who resigns from the University must immediately consult with his or her Dean or Head of Unit and the Research Grants & Contracts Officer about the financial position and further work associated with the grant, contract or consultancy, including the likely financial position at the time their resignation takes effect and any outstanding obligations to sponsors. If any work is to be transferred elsewhere, the agreement of the Dean or Head of Unit must be obtained, together with the sponsor, and the Research Grants & Contracts Officer informed.
    2. It is University policy that credit balances on individual reserve accounts may not be transferred from the University without the written consent of the Dean or Head of Unit, who should inform the Research Grants & Contracts Office. Transfers will only be considered when it is clear that all these and any other accounts have been identified and met. Deficits on individual reserve accounts are not permitted.
    3. The Dean or Head of Unit is required to give written confirmation to the Research Grants & Contracts Officer in respect of each and every member of staff who resigns from their School who has any ongoing responsibility for a grant, contract or University consultancy or reserve account, that all appropriate matters have been attended to and that no deficit falls to the School/Unit.

  3. For staff using equipment purchased from research grants

    Please see the IT Asset Management Policy.  

    • Action in circumstances not covered by the categories in the above policy should be decided by the relevant HoS, Head of Unit or nominee in consultation with the Finance Officer & Business Director.

  4. For staff responsible for supervising research students
    1. When a member of staff is responsible for the supervision of research students, arrangements must be made for the allocation of a new supervisor and any necessary pastoral care (e.g. provision of safety or research advice).
    2. When a member of staff has some responsibility in relation to the funding arrangements for a research student, they should ensure that they take any final action which may be necessary in this respect before they leave.
  5. For staff with web pages

    Staff who have generated official University Web pages as part of their duties should ensure that these pages are transferred to another, continuing user, who will be responsible for maintaining the pages.

    In cases where there are personal Web pages relating to research which a member of staff feels should continue to be maintained after their departure, these should be transferred to the directory of another, continuing user, who will take responsibility for these pages. It is not possible for individuals who have left the University to maintain Web pages on University servers after they have left.