Red Circling
All staff, who are paid on The University of Sheffield Grading Scheme, moved from the old pay scales and spine to the new pay scales and spine on the basis of: their old grade and salary; their new grade as identified through job matching; and agreed procedures.
Staff who were matched into a grade lower than indicated by their old grade were red circled, and had their salaries frozen at their old level and their pay protected for four years from the date of implementation (or the date of assimilation if they were job matched after October 2005). During this period, they were given the opportunity to start a personal development plan, with the intention of either growing their job, or developing themselves so that they become able to move into a higher graded job.
These pages contain information (issued at the time of assimilation) about red circling for both staff and managers, as well as some illustrative examples of how salary freezing and protection work in practice. PDF versions of the red circling guidance notes are available to download from the box on the right.
Examples of salary freezing and protection