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Campus Management

Guidance for leaders and managers

Updated 9 September 2021

Reopening our campus in a phased and progressive way and bringing staff back to work here is a complex process which requires careful planning in an ever-changing situation. Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our staff so there are lots of things for leaders and managers to consider when making plans to bring colleagues back to work.

Our approach from Monday, 19 July will be a managed return of staff back to campus. Rather than providing unrestricted access to campus over the summer period, our focus will be on increasing research and laboratory activity, post-graduate teaching, confirmation and clearing, and preparing for the new academic year.

Prioritising these activities will enable us to manage the demand on our essential support services, such as IT and Estates and Facilities. Leaders and managers across our University will be working hard to ensure a safe transition to working on campus so please bear with them as they develop their plans over the coming days and weeks.

We expect and are planning for a wider return to campus for staff from Wednesday, 1 September 2021 in advance of the start of the new academic year. For Professional Services (PS) colleagues, this will be part of our wider hybrid working pilot. We will confirm further details about this on Thursday, 19 August 2021.

However, our planning for 2021/22 academic year takes into account that further government restrictions may be imposed, and we need to be ready to change our ways of working as required.

Principles guiding our managed return to campus

All decision making about the managed return to campus campus will be informed by these principles:

  • The safety of our staff and students is paramount.
  • Decisions and actions will be informed by current UK government and Health and Safety Executive guidance, and scientific evidence.
  • There will be a consensus agreement on business-critical activity for prioritisation.
  • Reopening and return to campus activity will be subject to thorough risk assessments.
  • Decision-making will be transparent and impartial and leaders and managers will carry out open, regular communication with colleagues and students throughout.

As part of our managed return to campus, we have adopted the following guidelines until Tuesday, 31 August 2021: 

  • We strongly recommend the continued wearing of face-coverings whilst moving around indoors on campus.
  • The legal requirement for social distancing will no longer be in place. However, consideration should be given to continue with social distancing measures in areas of the campus where it is possible to do so without restricting activity until the wider return to the campus in September.
  • If you have COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive, you are required to self-isolate and not come to work on campus for ten days. You can get further information on what to do on StaffNet.
  • We encourage staff and PGRs working on campus to get tested twice a week whether you are displaying symptoms or not. You can find out how to get hold of a test on StaffNet.
  • Staff who have been asked to return to campus but have not been vaccinated because of an underlying condition should speak to their line manager to discuss whether attending campus would support operational needs, or whether they should continue to work from home. They should also speak with their healthcare provider to understand whether there are any additional adjustments line managers or supervisors need to consider.
  • If you are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), an approach consistent with government advice of 19 July 2021 has been adopted, which no longer instructs people to work from home. This includes those who had previously been shielding or considered ‘clinically vulnerable’ (CV) or ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ (CEV). To support you in your return you can discuss your individual circumstances with your Line Manager, who can also use the simple ALAMA ‘covid age’ risk stratification tool as part of a risk-assessed approach. This tool is updated regularly by the Society of Occupational Medicine in line with emerging evidence, and the link for the easy to use tool is here: https://alama.org.uk/covid-19-medical-risk-assessment/. If your covid age’ is calculated to be more than 70 then with your consent your line manager can also refer you to the University’s Occupational Health Service for further support.
  • Staff should continue to follow the government’s advice on travel and you can find out more at our travel FAQs.