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Postgraduate employment

1 September 2006

Thousands of postgraduates are employed in higher education, usually in teaching roles. It is important that they are treated in the same way as other employees and are fully supported as members of staff.

Know your rights

Make sure you know your rights as a postgraduate teaching assistant (GTA):

GTAs: know your rights [98kb]

Postgraduate employment charter

UCU - in conjunction the National Union of Students (NUS) - launched the Postgraduate Employment Charter. The charter calls for universities to recognise their role as employers and commit to the requirements laid out in the charter.

These include fair and equal access to employment opportunities, a letter of appointment, job description and terms and conditions, the right to belong to a trade union and be involved with the activities of the union, full induction training, and pay for all hours worked.

These campaigning documents seek to raise the profile of postgraduate employment rights and professional development in higher education. We encourage local associations and branches to work locally with the NUS to get employers to adopt the charter.

Postgraduate employment charter - UCU/NUS [159kb]

Last updated: 30 November 2020