The UK¡¯s research-intensive universities offer more generous maternity leave packages than their teaching-oriented contemporaries, according to a study that highlights evidence of a clear divide in academics¡¯ parental rights.

In a paper due to be published at the end of this month, Vera Troeger, professor of quantitative political economy at the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Warwick, and Mariaelisa Epifanio, lecturer in politics at the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Liverpool, suggest that research-focused institutions such as those in the Russell Group often allow female employees who are expecting children more time off at full salary as part of a strategic move to retain their best workers.

The researchers name the universities of Manchester, Oxford and Southampton as being among the most generous employers, each offering soon-to-be mothers 26 weeks¡¯ leave at full salary.

At the other end of the scale sit a number of smaller or specialist institutions, which offer no weeks off at full salary. These include, according to the study, Leeds Beckett 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ and the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bolton.

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Dame Athene Donald, master of Churchill College, Cambridge, and the university¡¯s former gender equality champion, said that she was ¡°not surprised¡± by the findings, since research-intensive universities have ¡°so much invested in each individual¡±.

¡°If a PI [principal investigator] leaves with a research group in place, it can have extremely negative consequences both for the students or postdocs involved and in the institution¡¯s relationships with funders,¡± Dame Athene said.

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Much of the variation in benefits can be attributed to terms of employment, which ¡°vary massively between universities¡±, she added. ¡°It isn¡¯t just that the teaching-focused universities use fixed-term (and often very short-term) contracts but I believe they also sometimes offer essentially zero-hours contracts.

¡°However, it is unrealistic to expect a rapid transformation with the financial pressures [universities] across the board are feeling, however desirable this is on all fronts.¡±

Bolton?is highlighted as one of 15 institutions to offer zero weeks with full salary replacement beyond the statutory government maternity benefit ¨C about ?140 per week ¨C an issue that a spokeswoman attributed to a ¡°lack of affordability¡±.

¡°°Õ³ó±ð?51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bolton...recognises the importance of family-friendly practices in the recruitment and retention of high-calibre colleagues,¡± the spokeswoman said. ¡°We do offer our staff maternity pay above the statutory minimum, [however] we are a relatively small [provider] and do not have the financial resources that many of the larger [universities] have.¡±

According to the study, research-intensive universities with a small student-to-staff ratio were found to be five times as generous in their maternity provisions as teaching-orientated providers with a larger number of students to every staff member.

¡°Highly research-intense institutions have a vested interest in keeping productive mothers in whom they have invested resources both at the hiring stage as well as during their employment at the university,¡± the authors state. ¡°Better maternity provisions are seen as a reward and a means to keep mothers productive and satisfied with a work environment that allows them to dedicate time to their research.¡±

If more teaching-oriented institutions ¨C often younger universities with a substantially smaller available cash flow ¨C improved their maternity packages, they would have ¡°an incentive to screen new hires more thoroughly by means of fixed-term contracts, because hiring processes are somewhat less focused on research productivity¡±, they argue.

Professor Troeger said that female academics at research-focused universities ¡°were helped to climb the career ladder¡±, making them more likely to stay in employment for longer.

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While she acknowledged that research intensity is ¡°not the only factor¡± affecting generosity of maternity leave pay, ¡°the current variation in occupational pay can be deemed unfair¡±, she concluded.

The study also found that institutions with a relatively high proportion of female professors offered three times the number of weeks of full salary replacement, on average,?compared with universities where only a small number of women were promoted that far.

Nicole Janz, assistant professor in international relations at the?51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Nottingham?and one of the academic mothers who participated in the study, said that she felt ¡°under pressure¡± to go back to work before she felt ready.

¡°When you are in the job market, of course you look at the department, the team, the place... but then if you are a women you are almost forced to look at the maternity benefits alongside this,¡± she told?Times Higher Education. ¡°It really makes you think twice about which job you want if you also want to have a family.¡±

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The data on occupational maternity provisions for 214 different packages across 160 different UK higher education institutions were collected in 2015. Professor Troeger said that it was unlikely that there had been any major changes since.

rachael.pells@timeshighereducation.com

Generosity of maternity leave at UK campuses

Source:?

Analysis of 214 maternity packages at 160 higher education institutions in ¡°An assessment of maternity leaves across UK universities¡±, by V. Troeger and M. Epifanio, forthcoming.

Number of weeks¡¯ full salary replacement under occupational maternity pay in UK higher education institutions

None ¨C 15 packages
51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bolton, Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, Edge Hill 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Falmouth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Leeds Beckett 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Leeds College of Music, Norwich 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the Arts, Queen Margaret 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Ravensbourne, Royal Agricultural 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Four ¨C 51 packages
51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the Arts London, Bath Spa 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bedfordshire, Bishop Grosseteste 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Bucks New 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Canterbury Christ Church 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Cardiff Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Central School of Speech and Drama, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Chester, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Chichester, Coventry 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ for the Creative Arts, Falmouth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Glamorgan [now part of the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of South Wales], 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Gloucestershire, Harper Adams 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Hertfordshire, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Huddersfield, Leeds Trinity 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Lincoln, Liverpool Hope 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Liverpool John Moores 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, London Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, London South Bank 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Northumbria 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Plymouth Marjon 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Plymouth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Portsmouth, Rose Bruford College, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, St Mary's 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College, St Mary's 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Twickenham, Stranmillis 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College, Teesside 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wales (Newport) [now part of the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of South Wales], 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of West London, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wolverhampton, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Worcester,

Six ¨C 27 packages
Anglia Ruskin 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Arts 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Bournemouth, Arts 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Bournemouth, Bournemouth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bradford, The 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Brighton, City, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cumbria, De Montfort 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Derby, Falmouth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Manchester Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Nottingham Trent 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Newman 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Northampton, Roehampton 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Southampton Solent 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Staffordshire 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Swansea Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ [now part of 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Wales Trinity Saint David], 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Westminster, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Winchester, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the West of England, Writtle 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ College, York St John 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

Eight ¨C 38 packages
Aberystwyth 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Bangor 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bath, Birmingham City 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bristol, Brunel 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ London, Cranfield 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Dundee, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Durham, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of East Anglia, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Edinburgh, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Essex, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Exeter, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Glasgow, Goldsmiths, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London, Heriot-Watt 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Hull, Imperial College London, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leeds, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leicester, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Liverpool, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Kent, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Nottingham, Royal Veterinary College, St George¡¯s, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Stirling, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Strathclyde, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Suffolk, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Surrey, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sussex, Swansea 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Warwick, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the West of Scotland

Nine ¨C five packages
51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Aberdeen, Courtauld Institute of Art, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UCL

10 ¨C one package
51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of East London

12 ¨C three packages
Aston 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

13 ¨C nine packages
Abertay 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Central Lancashire, Edinburgh Napier 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Oxford Brookes 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Manchester Metropolitan 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Robert Gordon 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Surrey, Wrexham Glyndwr 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

14 ¨C two packages
Institute of Cancer Research, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sunderland

16 ¨C 14 packages
51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Bristol, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Durham, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Edinburgh, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Glasgow, Glasgow School of Art, Imperial College London, The 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Kent, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Leeds, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of St Andrews, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Stirling, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Strathclyde, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Warwick, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the West of Scotland, UCL Institute of Education

17 ¨C one package
Heriot-Watt 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

18 ¨C 17 packages
51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Aberdeen, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Birmingham, Brunel 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ London, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Cambridge, Cardiff 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Courtauld Institute of Art, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of East London, Edinburgh College of Art, Heythrop College, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Hull, Imperial College London, Keele 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, King's College London, Lancaster 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Liverpool Hope 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, London Business School, London School of Economics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Loughborough 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Middlesex 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Newcastle 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, The Open 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Queen Mary 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London, Queen's 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Belfast, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Reading, Royal Holloway, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Salford, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sheffield, Soas, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Sussex, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of York, UCL, Ulster 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of the Highlands and Islands

19 ¨C one package
Glasgow Caledonian 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

20 ¨C two packages
51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Greenwich, Kingston 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ

26 ¨C seven packages
Aston 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ, Birkbeck, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of London, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Manchester, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Oxford, Royal College of Art, Scotland's Rural College, 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Southampton

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Source: Analysis of 214 maternity packages at 160 higher education institutions in "An assessment of maternity leaves across UK universities", by V. Troeger and M. Epifanio, forthcoming.