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Induction

 

Here you will find a wealth of practical information which will assist you in your initial days of working for the University.

 

Getting around

The University extends across Cambridge City Centre. The University Map is a useful means of identifying where the University is located.

The University's Estate Management provide detail on travel matters, including the University's bus.

 

Getting paid

Salaries are paid to all staff on the 26th of the month, unless this falls on a weekend or bank holiday when the pay day will be brought forward to the Friday. 

If you have not been asked to provide your bank details prior to appointment, you should complete the CHRIS/22 form. This should be sent to you with your offer letter. Please note that non-completion of this form will delay payment. 

If you have any queries about your pay you should contact the Payroll Section

Payroll also arrange collection of statutory deductions from pay, processing of salary sacrifice deductions and administers the Travel to Work scheme. For more information please see Pay and Benefits.

Further information can be found in the Assistant Staff Handbook or the Staff Guide for Academic, Academic-related and Research Staff. These guides include information on terms of employment such as hours of work, holiday entitlements, safety and security, well-being and the facilities available to you.

 

Taxation

New starters should provide a P45 from a previous UK employment or complete one of the statements under section 6 of the CHRIS/22 new starter form at the earliest opportunity.

This information is sent to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) who will issue a confirmation tax coding to be used on the payroll.

This information is downloaded directly from HMRC’s website into the payroll system. Individuals should be aware that the Payroll and Pension sections are not given any reasons as to why a specific coding is issued to an individual, so cannot answer any questions on this type of query. Queries regarding tax codes should be directed to HMRC.  Contact details can be found on the Payroll website.

 

Employee Self-Service

Employee Self-Service (ESS) allows you direct access to some of your data held in the Human Resources system, CHRIS (Cambridge Human Resources Information System) and the University Payroll system.

Employee Self-service enables staff to:

  • Supply HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) personal data
  • View and download online payslips
  • Add or amend contact details
  • Start receiving email notification of payslip availability
  • View absence data
  • View changes made through the ESS system
  • View P60

You will need a Raven password to access ESS. If you do not currently have a Raven password, you will need to apply for one. Once you have a Raven password, if you experience any difficulty accessing ESS, please contact the CHRIS Helpdesk: tel. 60999, email chrishelpdesk@admin.cam.ac.uk

Please review your data periodically to keep it up to date. Changes you make via ESS are updated in the CHRIS system with immediate effect. 

We ask employees to supply HESA details in order to comply with statutory reporting requirements determined by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. HESA is the agency responsible for collecting staff and other data from publicly funded Universities in the UK. As a publicly funded University we are obliged to ask staff to complete this data, even if they chose the ‘prefer not to say option’, however we would not force a member of staff to provide details if they chose not to do so. 

 

Pensions

The University's Pensions Section manages the following pension schemes:

  • Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)
  • Cambridge University Assistants' Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS)
  • National Health Service Pension Scheme (NHSPS)
  • Cambridge Colleges' Federated Pension Scheme (CCFPS)
  • Medical Research Pension Scheme (MRCPS)

Employees who are eligible for membership of USS and the CPS will receive a welcome pack with information about the relevant pension scheme shortly after they are paid for the first time. This will include information on how to opt out of the scheme. Unfortunately, it is not possible to opt out of the scheme until the information pack has been received.

 

Health, welfare and safety

The University employs health, fitness, and welfare specialists. For further details, see the Well being section of Employee Benefits.

The University also has its own Safety Office. Within its advisory role, the Office provides much information and training.

 

IT Services

University Information Services (UIS) provides many of the university-wide IT services that support teaching, research and administration. Your department, college or institution will have arranged for your University accounts to be set up for you. Follow UIS’ instructions for new starters to complete the sign up process. 

Your department, college or institution may provide you with additional IT services. Your local IT support staff will let you know what is available and give you details of your accounts. 

Your local IT support staff are normally your first recourse for all IT issues, but UIS also operates a help desk for general queries. 

 

University Card

Your University Card looks like a credit card and features your name and photo. You’ll use it to access University sites. You can also use it to claim University discounts. On arrival, you should contact your Card Representative, who will ensure the University Card Office has all the details they need to create a card. If you are unsure who your Card Representative is, consult your Departmental Administrator. 

 

Disability and Access

Information about all aspects of disability including physical access, Access to Work and the University's Disability and Employment Policy can be found on the website for the Human Resources Division and the Disability Resource Centre.