docs.google.com
Joint union survey - UoB "Future Shape" and impact of restructures - August 2026
The University Council has approved the move to a new three-Faculty structure. We are not asking you to reopen that decision. What has not yet been settled is how the change is delivered — who leads the new Faculties and how they are appointed, what it means for your School or team, your workload, your job, and how staff are consulted along the way. Those are the questions this survey asks, so that your unions go into consultation with clear, independent evidence of what staff actually want.
We know that there have already been localised "restructure / Future Shape" announcements in various central professional services areas - such as External Relations, Student Services and Careers Network - as well as pockets of staff placed at risk of compulsory redundancy. The university is currently only engaging with campus unions where it is legally obligated (where there is a risk of compulsory redundancy) - whereas both UCU and UNISON believe they are obligated via our respective recognition agreements to consult with us where there are changes to job descriptions.
This survey is run by your unions, not the University. It is completely anonymous. Responses are collected and analysed by your branch representatives on an independent platform — not on University systems, and not visible to management. We’ll publish a thematic summary to all staff and use the results to inform our negotiations with the University, our formal position on the failure to consult collectively on changes to job descriptions, and our ongoing engagement with the Health and Safety Executive on work-related stress.
Who should respond: any member of staff, whether or not you are a union member. There is one optional question about union membership; it does not affect your anonymity. It takes about 10 minutes.
