The 2025 Staff Bonus Scheme is now open for applications from colleagues in Grades 1-7 (and in equivalent clinical grades).
To qualify for this year’s bonus scheme, staff must have completed and be up-to-date with all of the mandatory training required for their role at the time the application is submitted.
You can find your outstanding mandatory training on the home page of the CPD training platform. More information, including FAQs, is available here. If you are a manager, you can view your direct reports' mandatory training completion in CPD training under "Reports" or for individuals under "Team Dashboard."
The aim is to reward exceptional contributions through one-off bonus payments to all those whose applications are successful, once all the Bonus Panel processes have been completed.
Pay increments may also be awarded where there is evidence of the longer-term impact of exceptional performance, at a level that is consistently above the usual requirements or expectations for the role, for longer than one year and on an ongoing basis (NB. an additional pay increment is not available for staff in clinical grades because their pay is set by the NHS). Further details are in the scheme guidelines.
The criteria for a bonus award are set out below. It is important to ensure that the expectations are aligned to the grade(s) of those being put forward for a bonus. For an individual or team bonus for those colleagues in grades 1-4, the examples of excellence/impact will be of a different scale to those colleagues at grades 5-7.
Criteria – How? (Values)
Criteria – What? (Activity)
Impact of what has been delivered (Measures)
o Substantially exceeding role requirements to complete a one-off or time limited task or service for customers or colleagues
o Achievement of particularly challenging goals or objectives by individuals or teams overcoming significant obstacles to ensure targets are met
o Demonstration of exceptional flexibility by individuals or teams which contributed directly to the achievement of objectives
o Development and delivery of innovative or creative new solutions that have impact
o Exceptional personal responsibility/impact either as an individual or by a team as an example of good citizenship, inclusivity, or environmental sustainability
o Delivery of work output(s), project(s) or initiative(s) that impacts beyond the usual scope of the role/grade or their area of responsibility
o Improvements in services to customers and/or achievement of objectives in challenging circumstances
o Positive feedback from customers and/or peers
o Achievement of objectives in challenging circumstances
For a team award, the criteria are the same, however the emphasis is on an activity that has been a shared team success.
Pay increments may be awarded to individual colleagues where there is evidence of the longer-term impact of exceptional performance, at a level above their usual role expectations, for more than one year and on an ongoing basis.
Please click on this link for further details on the Values in action
The guidance notes and application forms are available below.
2024 - 2025 Staff Bonus Scheme guidelines [PDF 262KB]
2024-2025 Staff Bonus Scheme One Off Lump Sum Nomination Form [DOC 46KB]
2024-2025 Staff Bonus Scheme Annual Increment Nomination Form [DOC 41KB]
Should you have any questions about the application process please email the Reward and Benefits team at rewardandbenefits@qmul.ac.uk.
All bonus applications, whether supported or not, should be sent by the relevant Head of School/Institute Director/PS Director/FDO to rewardandbenefits@qmul.ac.uk no later than Friday 21 March 2025.
The Guidelines set out some interim dates of Friday 28 February (for self-nominations) and Friday 7 March for applications to be reviewed/agreed by the line manager and sent to the Head of School, Institute Director or Head of Department. This is to help ensure that the applications can be reviewed/submitted by the relevant Head/Director by 21 March. Heads/Directors are however able to organise the application process locally within their School/Institute/Department/Faculty if they wish, to ensure that all applicants have sufficient time to complete the forms for their final review within that timeframe, particularly if there are any extenuating circumstances that make the interim dates difficult to achieve.