HR Self-Service

Why can’t I log in?

Are you eligible for HR Self-Service?

If you hold a contract of employment with the University of Oxford, you are eligible for HR Self-Service. This does not include casual workers (including TSS), visitors, agency staff or staff employed by one of the University's subsidiary companies.

Are you accessing the system via the University network?

HR Self-Service is currently available via the University network only. If you need to access the system off site or you are using Eduroam (WiFi), you will need a VPN connection. Please contact your local IT support for assistance.

Are you experiencing problems with your Single Sign-On account?

Click here to contact the IT Service Desk for assistance.

Still need help?

Please contact your local HR administrator, or your Departmental Administrator/Head of Administration and Finance for assistance.

What is Single Sign-On?

In most cases, as a staff member of the University you will be issued with an Oxford Single Sign-On (SSO) account, which gives you access to many web-based services at Oxford. Find out more information about SSO, including what to do if you have forgotten yours, here. 

Which staff groups have access to HR Self-Service? 

All employees with a Chancellor Masters and Scholars (CMS) contract of employment with the University of Oxford have access to HR Self-Service. This does not include casual workers, visitors, agency staff or staff employed by one of the University's subsidiary companies.

Can I access HR Self-Service at home?

HR Self-Service is currently available via the University network only. However, you can access the system off-site using a VPN connection (please contact your local IT support for assistance). 

Can I access the system 24/7?

The system can be accessed at any time via the University network. However, as with all business systems, the HR Information System may need to be taken down from time to time for essential maintenance work. This downtime will be kept to an absolute minimum and will always be communicated to staff via this page. 

We recommend that you always access HR Self-Service via this webpage (rather than bookmarking the system URL itself) to ensure you see notices about system downtime and other important news and updates.

Can University employees based in colleges access HR Self-Service? 

HR Self-Service is accessible via the University network. This means that University staff based in colleges and departments using the centrally-provided internet resource (the network provision managed by IT Services, known as Odin), can access HR Self-Service. Non-University buildings that use internet provisions from other suppliers are required to use the IT Services VPN service to access the system. Please contact your local IT support for assistance.

I have limited/no access to a computer at work. How can I access HR Self-Service and update my details?

If you don't have access to a PC at work, you should contact your local HR team/administrator with enquiries about your HR record, or to request updates to your details. Some departments have ‘hub’ PCs that are open for use to all staff; please contact your department for further details about this.

I am leaving the University – what will happen to my HR Self-Service access?

Once your University card/SSO account are deactivated (usually around 30 days after your end date) you will also lose access to HR Self-Service. We recommend that you download and save your payslips and P60s on an ongoing basis if you want to retain an electronic copy of these documents alongside the paper versions we are currently still providing.

How do I change information that I can’t update myself?

Please send your request to update your details to your local HR team/administrator following you department’s usual process.

I think that my length of service details are wrong, what should I do?

Your ‘Continuous Service’ is defined as the period of service as an employee on a CMS contract of employment with the University of Oxford (with no breaks). Your continuous service is used to identify your entitlement to certain employment benefits, such as sick pay and maternity leave pay. It does not include casual service or any service with colleges, subsidiaries, or other higher education institutions. See also: Continuous Service Policy.

If you would like to discuss/query the dates of your continuous length of service, please get in touch with your usual HR contact/administrator.

Please note that ‘Continuous Service’ and long service leave are different – for information about long service leave click here.

Do my ‘Service Details’ in HR Self-Service reflect my pension membership dates?

No. HR Self-Service does not show any data in relation to any of the pension schemes offered by the University.

Your length of membership for your pension scheme may depend on a number of factors, and is not always the same as your length of employment with the University of Oxford. For example, previous employment with a participating employer may count towards your pension benefits. You can check your length of membership for your pension scheme by referring to your annual pension benefits statement. Alternatively, you can contact your specific pension provider:

If you are a member of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) click here.

If you are a member of the Oxford Staff Pension Scheme (OSPS) click here. 

If you are a member of the NHSPS (National Health Service Pension Scheme) click here.

My appointment start date is incorrect, what should I do?

Your appointment start date will be updated to reflect certain contractual changes including a change of grade, department, departmental restructures, and also occasionally as a result of departmental coding changes in the University’s HR Information System (HRIS). As such this date may not relate to your actual appointment start date, but to the latest change in the HRIS. For clarification, contact your local HR team/administrator.

How can I access my pension scheme information?

If you are a member of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) click here.

If you are a member of the Oxford Staff Pension Scheme (OSPS) click here.

If you are a member of the NHSPS (National Health Service Pension Scheme) click here.

I can see a negative value under the ‘Allowances History’ screen on the Pay tab in My Profile – what is this?

The Payroll team record deductions under the Childcare Voucher Scheme (Computershare) and the University’s Nursery Salary Sacrifice Scheme as a negative allowance in the HR system. If you currently or have previously subscribed to one/both of these salary sacrifice schemes you will see the history of the annualised figures (recorded as a negative) in this screen. For example, if you receive £243 in childcare vouchers per month you will see an annual value of -£2,916.00 displayed on your record.

I have received an email about HR Self-Service, is it genuine?

Any emails related to HR Self-Service will always come from an “ox.ac.uk” email address and will always direct you to the following URL: www.ox.ac.uk/hrss (expands to: www.ox.ac.uk/staff/working-at-oxford/hr-self-service).

We will never ask you to disclose any sensitive personal information such as your password or any other account information. Click here for further advice on how to avoid email/ phishing scams.

How can I protect my online privacy? 

To protect your online privacy, always fully sign out once you have finished using HR Self-Service. To do so, click on the arrow next to your name in the top right corner of your screen, and click 'log out'. The next screen will remind you that you are still logged in to the University of Oxford Single Sign-On system. This means there is a small risk that another person on that computer could access your account without first logging in. For complete security you should always close down your web browser (that includes quitting all running copies of your web browser) once you have finished working.

Visit the Information Security website for further guidance on staying safe online.

How does the University use my data?

The University of Oxford is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. Read our Staff privacy policy to find out how the University collects and uses your personal data during and after your employment.

Who else can see my HR Self-Service data?

Your Self-Service Manager, who in most cases will be your line manager, can see data that is relevant to their role as your manager, such as that needed for budgeting purposes or to enable them to contact you or your chosen contact in the event of an emergency. Your Self-Service Manager cannot see your payslips, P60s, bank details or diversity details. Your manager's manager can also view some aspects of your HR Self-Service record. The only other people who can access your personal and contractual data are staff within the HR and Payroll functions (centrally and within departments) who have been granted access according to strict criteria and authorisation procedures.  

Access to diversity data is granted on a strictly ‘need-to-know’ basis, and is primarily only accessible by the Equality & Diversity Unit (EDU) and the HR Analytics team. 

For further information about the data found in HR Self-Service and how it is used, please refer to the HR Data Guide accessible from the menu on the right.

Who is my Self-Service Manager?

In most cases, your Self-Service Manager is your line manager. Self-Service Managers can use the system to view the following information about their immediate team:

• Name

• Personal and work contact details (home address, email address, phone number)

• Emergency contact details

• Contract and pay details (start date, FTE, contract status, grade, increment due date and salary history)

• Other information including; right to work and HESA staff ID.

They cannot see your payslips, P60s, bank details or diversity details.

Your Self-Service Manager is listed in the 'Contract' section of the 'My Profile' area in Employee Self-Service. If you have not been assigned a Self-Service Manager this will be blank. If you have a question about your Self-Service Manager, please contact your local HR team/administrator.

Are there plans to stop issuing paper payslips?

Part of the original benefits of delivering the HR Self-Service platform in spring 2018 was to reduce the University’s environmental impact. We are in the process of planning to go paperless with payslips, and timescales for this will be established and communicated in due course. Going paperless will provide environmental benefits such as saving approximately 25 trees per year as well as saving £31,000 per year in printing and paper costs. In addition, this move will omit risks such as delivering paper payslips to the wrong place or being left unattended in pigeon holes/on desks.

Can I opt out of receiving paper payslips?

The facility to opt-out of paper payslips is currently unavailable. The University is planning to move to online-only payslips soon, and further details about this will be communicated to all employees in due course.

How long will my payslips and P60s be available online?

HR Self-Service enables you to access online payslips dating back to May 2013, and P60s dating back to the tax year 2014/2015 (or your start date, whichever is more recent). These documents will be available via HR Self-Service for the duration of your employment with the University.

To ensure you have access to your payslips and P60s beyond the end of your University employment, you are advised to download and save your electronic payslips and P60s. Please check the 'Employee Self-Service How-To Guide’ (accessible from the menu on the right) for instructions on how to do this.

Can I download and print my payslips and P60s? 

Yes, if required, you can download and, where necessary, print your payslips and P60s. Please check the 'How-To' guide (accessible from the menu on the right) for instructions on how to do this.

Are online payslips accepted as proof of income? 

Electronic or online payslips are becoming increasingly commonplace and are accepted by most banks and building societies. They are also considered acceptable by HMRC, the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority.

What happens with pensioners’ payslips? 

Former employees who receive a pension from the OSPS scheme cannot access the system and will receive paper payslips. Arrangements for other pension schemes are not affected by HR Self-Service.