By participating in Salary Exchange, you are agreeing to stay in the scheme until at least 31 March of the calendar year following that in which you join - i.e. if you join in July 2017 then you agree to participate until at least March 2018; if you join in February 2017 then you agree to participate until at least March 2018.
If you decide to opt-out of Salary Exchange, you will have the opportunity to elect to participate again with effect from 1 April of any subsequent year. Please use the opt-in form to let us know your intentions.
An exception to these rules will be made if you experience a qualifying 'life change event'. These include:
- Commencing, or returning from, maternity leave, long-term parental leave, paternity leave or adoption leave;
- Termination of your or your partner's employment;
- Significant change of your or your partner's employment or hours of work;
- Relocation - of either your home or your office;
- Death of a close family member or dependant;
- Marriage, divorce or legal separation;
- Commencing, or returning from, long term sickness, or starting receipt of long-term disability benefit.
In these cases, and subject to the agreement of the University, you may opt in or out of Salary Exchange at a time other than the usual 1 April date. Should you wish to do so, please complete either an opt-in or opt-out form as appropriate and return it at once to the Payroll Team.
- Salary Exchange Opt-out Form - use this form only to opt-out of Salary Exchange.
- Salary Exchange Opt-in Form - use this form only if you opted out but now wish to join.
If you are a new starter then you do not need to complete the opt-in form in order to participate in Salary Exchange: you will be enrolled automatically on or around three months after your date of joining (for USS members) or from your start date (for OSPS members). If, as a new starter, you decide to opt-out, then you must complete and return your opt-out form no later than two months after the date you join the University (for USS members) or within the first month (for OSPS members) otherwise you will be enrolled automatically into Salary Exchange.
