Working for BCU
Birmingham City University is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment that values and promotes diversity, equality and inclusion.
We are committed to continuously reviewing and improving our policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that we are promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our operations. We believe that by working together, combining our many different backgrounds and life experiences, we will empower each other to reach our full potential.
We hold an Athena SWAN Bronze award in recognition of our commitment to improving employment practices for the advancement of gender equality, while we are proud to have signed up to the Race Equality Charter demonstrating our commitment to representation, progression and success for all staff and students no matter their background.
Birmingham City University has been recognised for its progress on LGBT+ equality with a Gold award in the Stonewall Index and we have entered the Top 100 Employers 2023 for LGBT+ inclusion. Meanwhile, we are Disability Confident (Committed) and are on an exciting journey to advance our University to progress through the Disability Confident scheme.
We are also a Mindful Employer which means we are committed to supporting the mental health and well-being of staff, and we have also signed up to the Mental Health Charter led by student mental health charity Student Minds. Furthermore, we are signed up to The Technician Commitment - a university and research institution initiative supported by the Science Council and Gatsby Foundation – aiming to ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research.
Our academic staff are eligible to enrol in the Teachers’ Pension, a Defined Benefit scheme that includes guaranteed benefits for life, including the option of a tax-free lump sum at retirement and life cover of three times your salary. We recognise the value a great pension can have for our employees and we make a 23.68% employer contribution. Your personal monthly contributions will vary between 7.4% and 11.7%, depending on your salary.
We also give all staff a 32-day annual leave allowance, in addition the 8 public and bank holiday days.
Meanwhile, we are proud of our annual I AM BCU Awards scheme, which we deliver in partnership with our Students’ Union. These awards celebrate the exceptional staff and students at BCU and recognise outstanding achievements within our University community.