The news that the University of Sussex has placed up to 300 jobs at risk, on top of around 500 colleagues who took voluntary redundancy over the past year, is sobering. But it isn't isolated. Across the UK, more than 5,000 redundancies have been announced at over 20 universities in the past 18 months, and the UCU is now tracking major cuts at more than 100 institutions. Many of the people affected have built their careers in higher education over years, sometimes decades.

If you work in a UK university, or know someone who does, this post is for you. In plain English: what is happening, what your rights are, and why you should not sign anything before you fully understand it.

What's happening across the sector

Sussex has begun a 45-day consultation on up to 300 cuts in academic departments and professional services — including admissions, student support and IT — alongside 17 roles at the Students' Union and 12 at the Institute of Development Studies. Management is targeting £28 million in annual savings after a reported loss of around 4,000 students.

Sussex is far from alone. Edinburgh has announced a £140 million cost reduction with around 350 voluntary departures. Essex is closing its Southend campus and phasing out roughly 200 academic and 200 professional services roles. Aberdeen has shed around 440 colleagues over two years. Dundee is running a final voluntary severance scheme targeting 180 full-time equivalent posts. London Metropolitan is consulting on 110–120 academic roles. Similar programmes are running across the sector.

Why this is happening — and the application-numbers question

A common assumption — and one I think is largely right — is that falling applications are behind the cuts. The strongest single driver is the collapse in international student numbers since the 2023 visa restrictions, which removed the right for most postgraduate-taught students to bring dependants. Study visa applications fell around 30% year-on-year in Q1 2026, and the refusal rate roughly doubled to about 13%. Because international fees subsidise much of the sector, that lands hard on budgets.

It isn't the only factor. Domestic tuition fees in England have been frozen since 2017 and have lost about a quarter of their real-terms value to inflation. Universities UK has estimated that recent policy changes — immigration, pensions, employer National Insurance, the proposed international student levy — will add roughly £3.7 billion of cost across the sector by 2029-30. The squeeze is structural.

What this means for employees

If your role is at risk, the most important things to hold onto are these: you have rights, and you have time.

UK law requires employers proposing 20 or more redundancies at one establishment within a 90-day period to enter formal collective consultation — a genuine opportunity to ask questions, understand the selection criteria, explore redeployment, and challenge the process where appropriate. The 45-day consultations now running at universities like Sussex are part of that framework.

Many universities also offer affected staff a settlement agreement — a legally binding contract in which an employee agrees to give up the right to bring certain employment claims (such as unfair dismissal or discrimination) in exchange for a financial payment. A settlement agreement can be a perfectly fair outcome. But it should never be signed quickly, under pressure, or without proper advice. Once it is signed, you are giving up valuable legal rights, and that decision cannot be reversed.

How I can help

I run Settlement Agreement Expert. When you contact me, you speak to me directly — not a junior, not a call centre.

If you are offered a settlement agreement, the law requires you to take independent legal advice from a qualified adviser before it can become binding. Your employer is normally expected to contribute towards the cost of that advice.

I will read the agreement carefully and explain it in plain English, check whether the payment fairly reflects what you may be entitled to, flag any clauses that look unfair or unusual (such as overly broad confidentiality terms or post-employment restrictions), and — where appropriate — negotiate better terms on your behalf. I work quickly, so you are not left in limbo.

What to do next

If you work at Sussex, or at any university currently going through redundancies, please don't sign anything until you have spoken to a specialist. Take your time. Ask questions. Get advice.

You can contact me at Settlement Agreement Expert for a free, no-obligation initial conversation. I will explain your options clearly, tell you whether the offer looks fair, and walk you through what happens next.

If you know a colleague, friend or family member who has been affected, please share this with them. The right advice at the right moment can make a meaningful difference — financially and emotionally.