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Wolverhampton accidentally reveals staff at risk of redundancy

Impacted staff were all copied into a group email, prompting outrage

Published on
August 27, 2026
Last updated
August 27, 2026
Source: Getty/pocketlight

The University of Wolverhampton has mistakenly revealed the identities of staff at risk of redundancy by including them in a group email.

The听post-92 university is currently in the middle of a restructure and redundancy process, having , as well as proposing to earlier this year.

A University and College Union spokesperson said that on Monday staff involved in the redundancy process, including those in the at-risk pool selections, as well as some faculty management, received an email updating them about that process, in which the institution mistakenly copied all their email addresses into the CC field, rather than hiding them in the BCC field.

Those affected听have taken to social media complaining of the incident, raising concerns over data privacy. Others have suggested that the university should be reported to the Information Commissioner鈥檚 Office.

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One staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, told Times Higher Education: 鈥淚t鈥檚 emotionally grim to put names to your competitors [for job retention], most of whom are friends. It鈥檚 also a shock to see how incompetent managers are听鈥撎齱e all have to do mandatory annual training in this stuff, and yet they still do things like this.鈥

They added that it is the 鈥渢otal lack of care or interest in procedure that hurts.听Throughout the [redundancy] process, agreements have been broken, dates missed and mistakes made. It feels like contempt, and this is just the latest example.鈥

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The UCU branch said that it is considering its 鈥渘ext steps鈥, and said that staff were anxious following the incident. The spokesperson added that the mix up came against a backdrop of 鈥渃haotic organisational change this summer, with the university running four [restructure] processes simultaneously, involving teaching and student support staff reductions and faculty re-organisation鈥.听

They said the restructure has faced 鈥渟evere delays due to management absence鈥, as well as the need to communicate with staff who are on leave.听

鈥淎s you can imagine, the delays and lack of meaningful communication have caused a great deal of stress and anxiety for affected staff,鈥 they said.

The university has been approached for comment.听

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com

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Reader's comments (3)

"The post-92 university..." You do realise that 1992 was 34 years ago!
new
Well the binary divide was never abolished as projected it just continues in a different form, slightly re-drawn of course.
new
The Russell Group universities are poaching all their students thus the lay offs and course closures. Expect more to follow.

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