An administrative error at the University of Essex left 18 Health and Social Care lecturers at the Southend campus believing their positions were secure, only to learn days later they remained under threat of redundancy.
It comes after some 400 staff jobs hang in the balance after the university announced the closure of the Southend campus this August.
The affected staff received correspondence on March 6 informing them they had been removed from the redundancy pool and were no longer facing job losses.
However, the following Monday brought an unwelcome correction, with the university confirming the original message had been dispatched incorrectly.
The communication was apparently intended for colleagues based at the Colchester campus, where the remainder of the Health and Social Care department operates.
The institution has since apologised for the mistake, which occurred amid wider turmoil over potential job cuts affecting approximately 400 positions across the university.
Dr Ana Olea Fernández, a lecturer at the university, described the frustration felt by staff following the miscommunication.
“We went into the weekend thinking we were safe,” she told the Southend Echo
Some 800 students at the University of Essex will be unwillingly relocated to the Colchester campus
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UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX
“Each department has its own target. The health and social care department has met its target, so we were thinking we were part of the lucky ones”.
The December decision to close the campus at the end of the academic year came due to significant financial challenges, and a 52 per cent drop in international enrollment since 2021-22.
All courses, and about 800 students, must transfer to the Colchester campus, a move unviable for many, which led to mass protest actions through Southend High Street from students, staff and action groups.
Students have been offered a compensation payment of £600 “in recognition of any distress and inconvenience” experienced as a result of the change. However, staff are yet to receive any kind of aid.
The correction of the email received by staff brought an unexpected revelation for the Southend-based employees.
Dr Olea Fernández explained the amended notice marked the first occasion staff had been informed their location was the determining factor in their continued at-risk status.
She also noted redeployment opportunities, despite being part of the redundancy agreement, were only formally offered when the dean contacted staff on March 16.
The University and College Union (UCU_ responded sharply to the incident, with general-secretary Jo Grady condemning the handling of the situation.
“It is outrageous that staff were wrongly told their jobs are safe,” she said. “It shows how chaotic and badly managed this whole redundancy process has been. Management needs to stop trying to rush through these disastrous cuts and work with us to protect the university’s future.”
The union’s criticism reflects broader concerns about how the institution has managed its workforce reduction programme, with staff facing prolonged uncertainty about their employment status.
The UCU has called on university leadership to slow the pace of cuts and engage more constructively with union representatives to find alternative solutions that safeguard both jobs and the institution’s long-term viability.
An Essex University spokesman acknowledged the error and said: “We apologised and provided support as soon as this genuine mistake was identified”.
The spokesman added the institution had maintained transparency with unions regarding the number of employees facing potential job losses, noting this figure was declining daily as staff opted for voluntary redundancy, accepted redeployment positions, or were removed from the at-risk category.
The administrative blunder comes against a backdrop of significant unrest at the university, with the latest demonstration against the planned closure of the Southend campus taking place on March 8.
The university has indicated it is taking steps to minimise the impact of any industrial action on students.