A court has ruled that Oxford University put staff on sham contracts; so why should philanthropists donate to the university until it gets its house in order?

It was once observed that our world’s leading universities – underpinned by multi-billion pound endowments invested in global capital markets – are better seen as hedge funds with some research and teaching on the side.

The sentiment that universities value profits over ethics came to mind again last week with the news that two of Oxford University’s longstanding creative writing lecturers, Rebecca Abrams and Alice Jolly, were employed on sham contracts. Despite in reality being ‘employees’, Abrams and Jolly were treated as sub-contractors resulting in low pay, insecurity, and exploitation. This treatment continued for 15 years until the pair blew the whistle. That resulted in their dismissal in 2022.

Thanks in part to Law for Change* a body which backs legal claims in the public interest, Abrams and Jolly were able to fight back. Last week, the judge supported their view that their employment arrangements were a ‘sham’ – effectively dictating terms to them as if they were employees whilst denying them the rights and benefits which accompanied that apposition.