Academic staff layoffs averted
Photo: Anna Holte
Mitigating measures – natural staff turnover, senior schemes and voluntary retirement – have prevented actual dismissals of academic staff following the student intake reduction.
News | 29. Sep 2022
For a while, academic employees at several departments, especially the Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy, feared a firing round would hit this autumn.
However, on Tuesday last week, Deputy President Inger Askehave could send an e-mail to members of the General Consultation Committee (HSU) stating that solutions have been found to avoid this scenario. As she explained:
“Heads of department have concluded their series of investigative talks on the task of adapting the staff portfolio to match the future cessation of tasks following the reduced student intake. All the relevant departments have succeeded in finding solutions using mitigating measures. Thus, we will not need to have a round of redundancies.”
And on Friday, she expanded this message on CBS Share:
“Clearly, we are pleased that this process has not led to any dismissals as a consequence of the cessation of tasks. However, continuing to focus on the significantly reduced income connected to the student place reductions is essential.”
The mitigating measures include positions not being filled after resignations (within natural employee turnover), senior schemes (usually with elements such as reduced working hours and agreed specific retirement dates) and voluntary retirement.
Ole Helmersen, a member of the HSU and senior shop steward for faculty at CBS, is also relieved that a round of redundancies has been avoided:
“It has been a very long and stressful process for many of those involved. It is very satisfactory that it has been possible for all departments to meet the requirements from senior management without having to lay off faculty.”
Comments