Before You Arrive / Induction

You will require your IT account username and password to access University computing facilities, including email and calendars, filespace, printing, payslips etc. You will receive the following three separate emails up to 14 days prior to your start date:

1. Welcome email confirming employee number
2. Email containing your IT account username
3. Email containing a temporary password and a link to the password reset portal

Please log into the portal using your IT account username and the temporary password we provide, then reset your password.

To obtain an ID card, (which is also your library card), please fill in the form which can be found here and upload a passport style photograph.

The photo should:

• show you on your own, looking straight at the camera
• be a close-up of your head and shoulders
• show your full head, without any head covering, unless you wear one for religious beliefs or medical reasons
• be identical and taken in the last month
• be in colour, not black and white
• be clear and in sharp focus, with a clear difference between your face and the background
• be taken against a plain cream, plain white or plain light grey background
• not show you with red-eye
• be taken with your eyes open and clearly visible (no sunglasses or tinted glasses and no hair across your eyes)
• be free from reflection or glare on your glasses
• be taken with nothing covering your face

You can choose to collect your card from either Infohub, 91 High Street, Old Aberdeen or if based at Foresterhill from HR Office, Room 3.034, 3rd Floor, Polwarth Building.

You’ll be informed by email when it is ready. Please ensure that you bring with you proof of identification when you collect your ID card. If you have any issues with your ID card, please contact infohub@abdn.ac.uk.

In line with Home Office regulations, you are required to bring evidence of your right to work in the UK, which is generally your passport and immigration documentation (where appropriate), to Room 103, University Office, Old Aberdeen. The documentation must be presented in it’s original format by you BEFORE any work is undertaken.

This is what is known as a Right to Work Check and any delays with providing this information may affect your eligibility to work at the University. 

If you are on a Skilled Worker visa or Temporary Worker (GAE/Youth Mobility) visa, you must not travel to the UK until the validity period of your visa commences.

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss further, please contact your HR Partner or HR Advisor.

Signed Contract of Employment

Please either email a scanned copy of your signed complete Statement of Particulars of Terms and Conditions of Employment to hr@abdn.ac.uk or return to Human Resources, Room 103, University of Aberdeen, University Office, King’s College, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX prior to commencing employment at the University.

Employee Information Form

Please either email a scanned copy of your signed complete Employee Information Form to hr@abdn.ac.uk or return it to Human Resources, Room 103, University of Aberdeen, University Office, King’s College, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, prior to you commencing employment at the University.

Please read the Relocation Expenses Guidance Notes for full details of the process.

The Relocation Claim Form should be submitted in accordance with the guidance notes.

If you have any questions about Relocation Expenses, please Contact Human Resources.

Further information can be found on Accommodation for Staff.

Aberdeen City and Shire has a wide selection of private accommodation available. You can find out what properties are available by visiting the Aberdeen Solicitors Property Centre.

There are also a number of letting agencies in Aberdeen such as

• Grampian Accommodation Agency
• Aberdeen Property Leasing
• Bain Property Agency

Please note this information is provided for illustrative purposes only and other letting agencies exist within Aberdeen. The University of Aberdeen has no links to private letting agencies within the City.

Information on bed & breakfasts, guest houses and hotels and their location in relation to the University campuses can be found at these web links:

• King's College campus
• Foresterhill campus

There are many major banks and building societies operating in Aberdeen.

Please contact hresc@abdn.ac.uk should you require an employer reference to open a bank account. This can be provided once you have returned your signed contract of employment and provided copies of your right to work documents.

A National Insurance (NI) number is a personal number used

• to record a person's NI contributions and credited contributions
• because it is needed for claiming social security benefits

You should apply for a NI number if you do not already have one and

• you have started or are about to start work
• you are self-employed
• you want to pay voluntary NI contributions and would benefit from paying them

For these applications you should telephone 0845 600 0643 between 8.00am and 6.00pm, Monday to Friday.

For further information please follow this link: gov.uk/national-insurance.

The King's College campus-based Rocking Horse Nursery provides childcare for preschool aged children of students and staff. The nursery has three 'departments' which cater for 0-2, 2-3 and 3-5 year olds respectively.

This nursery has facilities for 46 children, from 0-5 years of age. Places are allocated according to the waiting list and the age of the child. Early booking is advisable.

The Rocking Horse Nursery is situated at 51 College Bounds, within the grounds of Crombie-Johnston Hall of Residence.

The Local Authority that the University is situated in also provides a pre-school education service Further options for child care may be explored via the external government Childcare Link website.

The University also has a Childcare Vouchers Scheme which is a tax saving initiative for staff.

The education service in and around Aberdeen is provided by the relevant Local Authority for where you live.

Information on schools in and around Aberdeen

• Aberdeen City Council's website
• Aberdeenshire Council's website
• More information on Education in Scotland

Local health services in the area are provided by NHS Grampian who have a list of the services they provide.

It is recommended that you register with your local medical practice, a list of which is provided by NHS Grampian and can be found on the above website.

If you are not already registered with a dentist, you are recommended to do so. The NHS Grampian Dental Services website contains information about how to register with a dentist and the Dental Registration Information Sheet provides further guidance.

In addition, the Dental Information and Advice Line can help with a variety of dental enquiries. It is open Monday to Friday 8.05am-5.45pm. The number is 0845 45 65 990.

Call the line if

• You have a dental enquiry,
• You wish to register with a dentist. This line is able to provide details of NHS practices are registering new patients,
• You are not registered with a dentist and are experiencing tooth pain or have a dental emergency (call NHS 24 on 111 outside the hours of this line).

Local services and amenities are provided by the relevant local authority depending on where you live, for those living in and around Aberdeen these will be provided by either Aberdeen City Council or Aberdeenshire Council.

For those living further distance from the University a full list of local authorities in Scotland can be found on the Scottish Government's website.

If you are a citizen of certain countries, and have been given permission to stay in the United Kingdom for more than six months, you will normally be required to register with a police station in the area in which you are living. Information on registering with the police including who needs to register can be found on the Home Office website.

If you need to register, this requirement will be endorsed in your passport. You must register within seven days of arriving in the United Kingdom. To register you will need your passport, two passport size photographs of yourself are usually required and the registration fee.

This should be done at:

Queen Street Police Station
Queen Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1ZA

Tel: +44 (0) 1224 3061058

As part of your welcome to University of Aberdeen, you will receive a link to our Induction Pack. If you do not have the link the pack can be accessed here

This has useful information on our history, our structure, our people, our values and much more.

There is a specific section in the pack which includes an induction checklist. This is designed to be completed by you and your manager within the first month of you starting your new role. Once completed please send back to staffdevelopment@abdn.ac.uk

If you've not received the link please contact hr@abdn.ac.uk and we'll send it to you.

The event is a formal welcome to the wider University of Aberdeen community and is designed to ensure that you receive the support you need to settle into your role here with us. The Networking Event will give you access to important information about the University including our structure, values and support available to you.The Event's are held in October and April each year.

We will email you directly to invite you to the next event which takes place twice a year.

The University requires all new staff to complete mandatory training to ensure you are familiar with our IT, Health and Safety and Equality & Diversity policies. The links to these are automatically emailed to you and must be completed during your first month with us.
If you no longer have the email then the training can be accessed here:

• Health & Safety
• Equality and Diversity
• IT Security Training

Should you have any issues accessing the system to complete training after you have been enrolled please contact Shona Fraser or Sam Smith, Human Resources Services Assistant at hr@abdn.ac.uk for advice or assistance.