By Mackenzie Watkins
As of the 18 February, 2025, the Australian National University has decided to offer voluntary redundancy to all staff under the Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS).
This decision follows a deficit of over $200 million in 2024 alone, which is well over its $60 million projected shortfall. ANU management is tackling this deficit through a structural intervention orientated around large salary cuts and job losses.
In the face of these changes, the decision to launch the VSS has not come as a surprise.
The VSS is only available to staff members in the academic and professional fields. ANU has promoted the VSS benefits including “financial entitlements, [due to] a separation package including severance pay and leave payouts” and “an opportunity to transition out of the University and explore new career or personal pathways.”
The package entitles staff to “three weeks’ salary for each year of service, with a minimum of five weeks’ and a maximum of 68 weeks’ pay for academic staff or 64 weeks’ for professional staff”. Staff will additionally “receive payment for any unused accumulated annual leave and for those who have met the one year qualifying period under the Enterprise Agreement, long service leave”.
When asked for comment, the ANU did not provide one, but instead directed towards the VSS website. The website states that “this scheme [has] been discussed with the NTEU”.
On behalf of the NTEU, Dr Lachlan Clohesy, Division Secretary of the ACT told Observer that he believes “there will be a lot of interest in voluntary separations, but not for good reasons. ANU is not a great place to work under the current leadership, and many staff will take this opportunity to get out.”
He continues to say that the NTEU encourages staff to vote “no” in the upcoming vote of no confidence in the ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop and Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell.
“[There is a] culture of fear and intimidation, the poorly explained financial situation, the poor governance practices, the job cuts, blaming staff and referring to them as “inefficiencies”, the parking fee hike, the childcare closures, the graduation ceremony changes, the postering policy, the threats to end of year leave, $2.4 million of wage theft disclosed in 2024, and attempting to take away a staff pay increase – which was rejected by 88% of staff”.
Jonathan Churchill, the ANU Chief Operating Officer, released a statement to all staff late February, which included “this “vote” has no legal or binding effect”, “the NTEU is not able to choose the leadership of our Council or the University” and that “the NTEU’s “vote” is about the impact on our community, and the white noise of confusion and angst it creates”.
Churchill stated that “of course, these decisions won’t always be popular. Change is uncomfortable”.
It is currently unclear how many staff have chosen to participate in the VSS, and whether it will be a popular option, but the ANU offering this scheme is a clear signal that staff reduction will be a fundamental aspect in its mission to decrease its deficit.
Graphics by Shé Chani
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