TWO academics who sued the University of Oxford over their ‘gig-economy’ short-term contracts will hear the employment tribunal judge's verdict within a month.

Alice Jolly, 58, and Rebecca Abrams, 60, - both successful authors and experienced university tutors - were employed on fixed-term ‘personal services’ contracts to teach on Oxford’s high profile creative writing course - which actress Emma Watson has recently enrolled onto.

The lecturers claim the university treated them as gig-economy workers, keeping them on insecure casual contracts that lasted for 15 years - until they were abruptly discontinued in August 2022 after the pair had made a formal complaint to the university.

READ MORE: Lecturers teaching Emma Watson's writing course sue Oxford University

Normally used for ‘on call’ work, casual contracts state the employer is under no obligation to give the employee any minimum working hours - but Ms Jolly and Ms Abrams say the university let them think they could count on future employment by consistently renewing their contract for many years.

Oxford Mail:

The two academics are still officially employed by the University of Oxford but they have not been assigned Year 2 students since 2022 - which they claim amounts to a dismissal since student supervision made up the bulk of their work.

Ms Jolly, from Stroud in Gloucestershire, and Ms Abrams, from Oxford, are represented by solicitor Ryan Bradshaw and barrister Richard O'Keefe.

Following three days of tribunal evidence, employment judge Rupert Read said he will deliver his reserved judgement on the case within the next month.