May 2025 bulletin

News and updates

Details of upcoming Main and Casual payroll deadlines can be found on the Payroll website.   

Visit the Payroll deadlines and cycles page to learn more about the monthly payroll cycle, including the key monthly payroll dates for People Management users. 

Visit the Payroll website

We’re pleased to share a new Workforce Management resources webpage, to assist departments who are new to Workforce Management this brings together all existing resources into one easy-to-navigate space. The page includes links to eLearners, videos, user guidance, FAQs, and more. To make it easier to find what you need, the page is divided into four sections based on audience: HR teams, staff, managers and Roster supervisors/staff.

Please note:

  • All content featured on the page already exists in current user guidance (eg “Make appointment and salary changes” for updating hours). HR-specific guidance can still be found here.
  • Staff and manager guidance remains available via the Staff Gateway. This new page is not intended to be shared directly with staff or managers.

With the introduction of more functionality made available in PeopleXD eg Workforce Management, staff, managers and HR teams may see additional menus. Some of these menus will be applicable to your department and others may not, eg Leave and Absence. 

To assist with this, we have included information for HR teams and staff on our webpages to identify which aspects of Workforce Management your department is live with.

The data for this year's Mandatory Gender Pay Gap report was extracted on 31 March 2025. As we delve into the analysis of this data, a number of anomalies have been identified related to FTE, hours and Employee sub status. To ensure accurate reporting, throughout June we will be contacting impacted departments for help with resolving these errors in our extracted dataset. All further details and instructions will be included in this communication.

For more information about the Gender Pay Gap reporting please visit https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/gender-pay-gap-reporting.

We’re aware of an issue with the HRINFO01 Data Validation report incorrectly flagging errors for clinical appointments on NHS Contract Grades '9 Specialty Registrar' and '10 Specialty Doctor', even when data is complete and correct.

This is being investigated. In the meantime, please ignore these specific error messages if the data is accurate.

If you manage a website or page that displays job vacancies, please read this important update from the Oxford Talks and Vacancies Project team.

The Mosaic widget used to display vacancies on departmental websites has been updated. It no longer relies on Data.Ox and is compatible with Fresco for future migrations. Data.Ox, a legacy platform, will be decommissioned by August 2025.

What you need to do:

  • If your site uses the Mosaic or Fresco widget, no action is needed.
  • If your site uses the XML feed directly from PeopleXD, you are not affected by this change.
  • If your site uses a custom solution that depends on Data.Ox’s XML feed, you will need to make changes. Please contact the Project Manager: Deborah Gallacher for support

  • HESA data quality check-in with departments - w/c 9 June (after Payroll deadline) 
  • HR Reporting downtime - 10th June 8:00 – 9:00am and 15th July 8:00 – 9:00am
  • HR Systems briefing – 24 June 10.00 – 11.00 (invite to follow)

Reminders

Please explore the tabs below to see the essential reports that should be run monthly.

Queries relating to data quality reports should be addressed to the Data Quality mailbox.

Report name When to run Purpose
PERDEP02 FTC end dates  For casual worker records: prior to casual payroll deadline 
For FTC employees: prior to main payroll deadline		 To ensure that FTC and casual appointments are ended in a timely manner and maintain accurate expected end dates
PERDEP20 Monthly personnel changes  Prior to main payroll deadline  To review data updates in PeopleXD are as expected for the month, and to monitor data updates made by staff in HR Self-Service. This report will return results based on the effective date of change.
PERDEP01 Home address and contact details  Prior to main payroll deadline  To check address updates and monitor SSO/HR Self-Service account creation/issues, to ensure compliance with timely access to payslips. Please remember to run this for casual staff too.
Onboarding: 'Completed checklist items'  Prior to supplementary payroll deadline - for NI number only  To extract NI numbers prior to the supplementary payroll deadline. All other data can be entered into PeopleXD outside of the Payroll deadlines. NB Bank details entered through Onboarding are automatically synced to the personnel record and will not appear in this report.

 

Report When to run Purpose Guidance/Further information
Onboarding: 'Completed checklist items' Prior to supplementary payroll deadline - for NI number only

Aside from the NI number, all other data in this report can be entered into PeopleXD outside of the Payroll deadlines. 

NB Bank details entered through Onboarding are automatically synched to the personnel record and will not appear in this report.

  
PERDEP41 Immigration and right to work At any point in the month  To manage visa/RtW processes, to comply with Home Office rules/immigration law. Please remember to also run this for casual workers.  
PERDEP10 Cost allocation (funding) end dates At any point in the month  To identify funding end dates/records with missing cost allocations.  
HRINFO01 Data quality validation At any point in the month  To maintain data quality and assist with HESA data submissions and other statutory reporting.

Clearing data quality errors

Staff classifications

HRINFO20 Casual worker data quality validation At any point in the month  To assist with HESA data submissions and other statutory reporting. Clearing data quality errors 
Staff classifications
PERDEP06 Agency workers At any point in the month  To comply with 12-week service rules   
       
       

 

Report When to run Purpose Guidance/Further information
RECDEP40 Vacancy details At any point in the month  To ensure vacancies are updates and closed in a timely manner   
HRINFO21 Vacancy and applicant data quality report At any point in the month  To maintain applicant status and vacancy management (useful for Athena Swan data)  Making changes to recruitment data 

 

For all new University staff and rehires, previous employment/activity data must be manually extracted from the Onboarding report and input into PeopleXD. Follow the appointing guides for guidance on how to run the report needed to extract this data.
 
For all internal transfers check the entry already exists.
 
If the employee has left, you can do the following to find out what they were doing before starting employment at Oxford University:
·    For academics check Google as most publish their CVs online or on LinkedIn.
·    Check recruitment in PeopleXD for the CV.
·    Check with the line manager to see if they have a copy of the individual’s CV.
 
Follow Add and manage personal details (section 7) for guidance on where/how to record Immediately Previous Employment in PeopleXD.

The Previous employment guidance table gives guidance on the use of Industry Category and when to complete Company Category or leave it blank. Note that Company Category is only required when Industry Category is either 01 ANOTHER HEI IN UK or 35 OXFORD COLEGE.

As the titles of Statutory Professor and Titular Professor in the ‘Academic title’ UDF are used in central reporting to place employees into the Academic Professor group for Athena SWAN and correct recording of ‘Titular Professor’ assists in the annual HESA staff returns, it is important to check that all academic titles are recorded correctly. We advise that you:

  • run the PERDEP22_Academic Title report to identify missing/incorrect information
  • familiarise yourself with the titles, their conferral process and the team responsible for data entry:Academic title Appendix
  • add/correct the information where you have responsibility to add or update the Academic Title UDF
  • instruct and follow-up with Data Services where amendments are to be made by this team
  • add the end date in the ‘To Date’ field in the Academic Title UDF when the academic title no longer applies

Guidance: Add and manage UDFs in PeopleXD

By following the above you will avoid emails from the HR Analytics team asking that Academic Title data is added or corrected.

Before payments are made, departments must complete the relevant UDF for all nominations, including those without awards, following the Reward and Recognition Scheme guide. 

To check if data has been entered or to verify it, run the PERDEP47 R and R Scheme Monitoring report. This report relies on the data recorded in two UDFs: Appt: R&R Recognition Scheme and Appt: R&R Awards for Excellence. 

For details on the monitoring of the scheme refer to the HR Support webpages. For questions about the scheme contact the Reward team. 

The ‘HRINFO02_AthenaSWAN Potential Staff Data’ readiness report will be available from the end of May until 31 July 2025. The report allows departments to review their Athena SWAN data before the extract is taken for the 2025 Tableau data refresh.
 
How to prepare:

  • It will be beneficial to run and clear all anomalies from your ‘HRINFO01 Data Quality Validation’ report by following Data Quality Clearing Errors before reviewing the ‘HRINFO02 AthenaSWAN Potential Staff Data’ report.
  • Ensure that all parental leave action and reason codes have been entered for all relevant employees, including recording return from parental leave.

For details on the methodology, background and contents of the Athena_StaffData and Athena_RecruitmentData, as well as instructions on using Tableau, refer to the Athena SWAN Tableau Manual. 

To access these Tableau workbooks, follow the process on the Accessing Tableau webpage. More information is available on our Athena web pages.

We would like to remind departments that the 'Previous HEI Employment' UDF should be recorded for all staff regardless of whether they were employed previously with another higher education institution (HEI) in the UK or not.


 
For guidance please visit: Previous HEI employment

Project updates

Don’t forget to download the brand-new HR mobile app, which went live late April.

Via the App staff are able to:

  • Access and update personal details  
  • View and download payslips   
  • Departments live with PeopleXD Leave and Absence and/or Roster functionality can request leave, view leave and absence, and access roster information.

To download the App and access guidance, visit Downloading and using the App.

Details of current, in-scope projects under the HR Systems Programme can be found on our dedicated webpage. This includes latest updates and timelines, where available. Note: These pages are under development and are updated regularly.

HR Systems Programme projects

New and updated documents

Guide Update
New appointments checklist New high-level checklist aimed at HR staff to refer to after setting-up a new appointment
Manage unplanned recruitment scenarios Guidance added for removing offers when rejected