Harriet PriceNew JNCHES National Pay Spine Agreement — Higher Education 2025-2026: A Complete Guide for Workers (2026)
The universities and colleges that educate millions of students across the United Kingdom employ roughly 200,000 non-clinical staff whose pay, working conditions, and employment rights are shaped by a single national framework: the New Joint Negotiating Committee for Higher Education Staff (New JNCHES) agreement. Whether you are a lecturer, librarian, IT specialist, administrator, or estates worker, this guide explains what the 2025-2026 pay settlement means for your salary, your leave entitlement, your redundancy rights, and your pension — and where to turn if you believe the agreement is not being applied correctly.
What Is the New JNCHES Agreement?
The New JNCHES framework is the collective bargaining structure that governs pay and national terms and conditions for non-clinical staff at universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland that are members of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA). Approximately 138 UCEA-member institutions participate in the annual pay round, covering ~200,000 employees across academic, research, professional services, and support roles.
Negotiations take place each year between UCEA — which bargains on behalf of member universities — and five recognised trade unions: the University and College Union (UCU), UNISON, Unite, the GMB, and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS). This collective recognition framework operates under TULRCA 1992, which gives recognised unions the right to negotiate on pay and working conditions. The agreement sets a national pay spine: a series of numbered salary points that institutions map onto their own internal grade structures. Individual universities retain the discretion to award additional, locally-funded pay enhancements above the national minimum.
Pay and Pay Award 2025-2026
For the 2025-2026 pay year, UCEA tabled a "full and final" offer of:
- 1.4% on all spine points for the majority of staff
- 2.0% for staff on Spine Points 7 and below — the lowest earners on the national scale
The settlement was declared effective from 1 August 2025, following implementation instructions issued to member HEIs after UCEA confirmed that the formal dispute resolution procedure set out in the New JNCHES agreement had been exhausted on 17 July 2025. Cambridge and other institutions that follow the standard UCEA timetable implemented the award in their August 2025 payroll, backdating where necessary.
All five unions rejected both offers put to them — the first tabled on 20 May 2025, the revised final offer on 4 July 2025 — on the grounds that the increases fell below inflation and failed to address years of real-terms pay erosion. Despite rejection, the UCEA dispute resolution procedure permitted implementation once conciliation was concluded without agreement. Four unions subsequently launched industrial action ballots on 20 October 2025; the UCU and EIS ballots did not reach the 50% participation threshold required under TULRCA 1992 for lawful industrial action, and those ballots did not proceed to action.
What Does 1.4% Mean in Practice?
If your salary before 1 August 2025 was, for example, £35,000, a 1.4% uplift adds £490, bringing you to £35,490. If your salary was £25,000 on Spine Points 7 or below, the 2% uplift adds £500, bringing you to £25,500. Every spine point on the national scale was uprated on the same effective date. Contract research staff on externally funded grants received the increase only where their funding source allowed it; staff on such contracts should confirm with their institution's HR whether the award has been applied.
Interactive Calculator Use our New JNCHES Higher Education Pay & Rights Calculator to estimate your updated salary, redundancy entitlement, annual leave allowance, and USS pension under this agreement.
Working Hours and Leave Entitlement
The Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR 1998) establish statutory minimum employment rights for all workers in the UK, including HE staff. The key provisions are:
- Annual leave: A minimum of 28 days paid leave per year (inclusive of bank holidays) for a full-time worker
- Rest breaks: At least 11 consecutive hours' rest in every 24-hour period; at least 20 minutes' uninterrupted rest if your shift exceeds 6 hours
- Maximum working week: An average of 48 hours per week (workers may opt out in writing, though this is voluntary)
Most UCEA-member universities offer contractual annual leave entitlements that exceed the WTR 1998 statutory minimum. A typical provision is 25 to 30 days of annual leave (excluding bank holidays and any institution-specific closure days) for all staff from day one of employment, rising with length of service at some institutions. When the eight standard UK public holidays are added, total paid leave at many universities reaches 33 to 38 days per year — substantially above the 28-day statutory floor.
Academic staff often have additional flexibility through research time and study leave provisions negotiated locally, though these are not uniform across the sector. Part-time employees are entitled to annual leave on a pro-rata basis.
You may not be asked to waive your right to take annual leave, and leave cannot be substituted by a payment in lieu while you remain employed (except on termination of employment). These protections exist under WTR 1998.
Redundancy Pay
If your position is made redundant, you are entitled to statutory redundancy pay under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 1996) if you have at least two years of continuous employment. The statutory formula is:
| Age band | Multiplier per full year of service |
|---|---|
| Under 22 | 0.5 week's pay |
| 22 to 40 | 1 week's pay |
| 41 and over | 1.5 week's pay |
Service is capped at 20 years, and the weekly pay figure used in the calculation is capped at £700 (the 2026 statutory cap). This means the maximum statutory redundancy payment in 2026 is:
20 years × 1.5 × £700 = £21,000
Many UCEA-member universities operate enhanced redundancy schemes that exceed the ERA 1996 statutory floor. Common enhancements include removing the service cap (paying for more than 20 years), increasing the weekly pay multiplier, or using the employee's actual uncapped weekly salary rather than the £700 statutory cap. Check your contract and any applicable local collective agreement to determine whether an enhanced scheme applies to you.
If you are selected for redundancy, you also have rights under ERA 1996 to a fair selection process and to be considered for any suitable alternative vacancies within the institution before your notice expires. Unfair selection for redundancy — for example, on grounds linked to trade union membership or activities — is unlawful under both ERA 1996 and TULRCA 1992.
Notice Period
Your statutory minimum notice entitlement under ERA 1996 s.86 is:
- 1 week's notice if you have been employed for between one month and two years
- 1 week's notice for each full year of continuous service, up to a maximum of 12 weeks, if you have been employed for two years or more
In practice, almost all university employment contracts set contractual notice periods that significantly exceed the statutory minimum. Professional services staff typically have notice periods of one to three months; academic and senior staff commonly have three to six months as a contractual term. Your contract takes precedence over the statutory minimum wherever it is more generous. If your employer dismisses you with less than the contractual notice owed, you may have a claim for wrongful dismissal.
Pension Rights
The dominant pension scheme for academic and the majority of professional services staff at pre-1992 universities is the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), a hybrid defined-benefit and defined-contribution arrangement. As of 2026, contribution rates under USS are:
- Employee contribution: 6.1% of salary
- Employer contribution: 14.5% of salary
Under the Retirement Income Builder (the defined-benefit element of USS), you accrue pension at a rate of 1/75 of your annual salary for each year of membership. At retirement you also receive a tax-free cash lump sum equal to three times the annual pension accrued. Salary above a threshold set by USS trustees accumulates in the Investment Builder, a defined-contribution pot.
Staff at post-1992 universities (former polytechnics and newer institutions) are more commonly enrolled in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) or their institution's own occupational scheme. Some institutions offer a choice between USS and an alternative scheme.
Regardless of scheme, your employer is obliged under the Pensions Act 2008 to automatically enrol you into a workplace pension if you are a qualifying worker earning above the earnings threshold, and to contribute at least 3% of qualifying earnings. Most HE schemes are considerably more generous than the auto-enrolment minimum floor.
Your Rights Under the Agreement
As a worker covered by the New JNCHES framework, you benefit from several protections that exceed or clarify statutory minimums:
- National pay spine uplift from 1 August each year — guaranteed annual review with negotiated increases, rather than reliance solely on the employer's discretion
- Collectively agreed pay framework — your pay point is set by reference to the national spine, protecting against arbitrary grade placement; any pay dispute can be raised formally under your institution's grading or appeals procedure (underpinned by ERA 1996)
- Recognised union representation — UCEA formally recognises UCU, UNISON, Unite, GMB, and EIS under TULRCA 1992, giving you the right to union representation in disciplinary and grievance proceedings and collective consultation on redundancy
- Protection from detriment for union activity — you cannot lawfully be dismissed, selected for redundancy, or subjected to any other detriment for joining a union or participating in lawful union activities (TULRCA 1992 ss.146–152)
Frequently Asked Questions
My university says my pay rise will be delayed because I am on an external grant. What are my rights? If your post is funded by an external grant that does not permit salary increases above the original budget, your institution may be unable to pass on the national award immediately. This is a recognised sector-specific provision, not a breach of the agreement. Speak to your HR department to find out when funds may become available; your union can assist if you believe the delay is unreasonable.
Can my employer refuse to give me the 1.4% increase? If your institution is a UCEA member, it has committed to implementing the nationally agreed award. Failure to do so would be a breach of your contract of employment (the award is incorporated into contracts via the collective agreement) and could give rise to an unlawful deduction from wages claim under ERA 1996 Part II. Contact your union representative if you believe the award has not been applied.
Are zero-hours or fractional contract workers covered? Zero-hours workers and hourly-paid staff at UCEA-member institutions are generally entitled to the nationally agreed spine point rates on a pro-rata or hourly basis, subject to the terms of their individual contracts. The WTR 1998 leave entitlement applies to all workers, not just employees. Check your contract and seek union advice if you are uncertain.
Why did the unions reject the offer if it has already been implemented? Under the New JNCHES dispute resolution procedure, UCEA is entitled to implement its final offer once formal conciliation concludes without agreement. Implementation does not mean union acceptance. The unions rejected the 1.4% offer as insufficient — citing below-inflation increases and ongoing real-terms pay erosion since 2009. Industrial action ballots were held in late 2025; where they did not reach the statutory 50% turnout threshold under TULRCA 1992, they could not lawfully proceed to strike action.
What is the lowest salary covered by this agreement? The agreement provides a 2% increase for staff on Spine Points 7 and below — the lowest earners on the national scale. The 2026 National Living Wage (NLW) is £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 and over. All spine points on the national pay scale must remain at or above the NLW floor; any spine point that falls below the NLW in a given year is automatically uplifted to comply with the National Minimum Wage Act 1998.
How does the USS pension change if my salary increases by 1.4%? Your USS pension accrues at 1/75 of your salary for each year of membership. A 1.4% salary increase therefore increases your annual pension accrual by 1.4% for that year of service. Both your employee contribution (6.1%) and your employer's contribution (14.5%) are calculated on your new, higher salary. Over a career, compound annual increases to pensionable salary have a meaningful effect on final USS benefit.
Related Tool
Interactive Calculator Use our New JNCHES Higher Education Pay & Rights Calculator to calculate your post-August 2025 salary across any spine point, model your redundancy entitlement under both the statutory ERA 1996 formula and common enhanced schemes, see your USS pension accrual, and check your annual leave allowance under this agreement.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult your union representative or a qualified employment solicitor.
