Who We Are

We are a group of academic staff from underrepresented groups at Keele University. We have brought collective claims to the Employment Tribunal against our employer.

Our Claims

Our case has been formally accepted by the Employment Tribunal and is proceeding through the hearing process. Our claims concern:

• Discrimination in workload allocation and career development opportunities
• Victimisation following protected acts taken under the Equality Act 2010
• Detriment suffered after making various whistleblowing disclosures, including disclosures concerning hiring practices, contrary to the Employment Rights Act 1996

We raised our concerns internally before pursuing Tribunal proceedings. We sought resolution through proper channels, including formal collective grievances, dignity complaints and whistleblowing disclosures, and correspondence with University management. We made clear that we sought no compensation and wished only to resolve matters internally. Unfortunately, our attempts at internal resolution did not result in any meaningful response from the University. Despite raising multiple complaints through proper channels, the treatment we experienced did not improve

Where We Are Now

We have completed two preliminary hearings. Our third preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 2026. A further collective claim by staff at Keele University is expected to be consolidated with ours.

Why This Is a Matter of Public Interest

This case raises issues that extend beyond our individual circumstances. It concerns discrimination, victimisation and whistleblowing detriment within a publicly funded institution. UK universities receive significant public and student funding and are subject to legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, the Employment Rights Act 1996, and the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, as well as regulatory obligations to the Office for Students, the independent regulator of higher education in England. These obligations exist to ensure equality, fair treatment and accountability in higher education.

Where staff raise legitimate concerns through proper channels and those concerns are not meaningfully addressed, the public interest in transparency and accountability is engaged. We believe this case highlights the importance of proper whistleblowing protections and equality obligations being upheld in higher education.

Why We Need Support

Employment Tribunal proceedings are lengthy and costly, particularly in complex multi-claimant cases. The University is represented by external solicitor. We need funding to maintain legal representation through the hearing process.

Any funds raised will be used to cover legal costs across all related collective claims. These are complex cases involving multiple claimants, and to date all costs have been borne personally by the claimants themselves.

All contributions will go directly toward legal costs, including representation, evidence preparation, and hearing expenses. Any surplus will support similar cases involving discrimination or whistleblowing detriment in UK higher education.

How You Can Help

A financial contribution of any amount helps us maintain legal representation. You can also help by sharing our case and raising awareness about employment rights in higher education.

Thank you for your support.