HESA Staff Data Return Overview

The HESA Staff Data Return is a mandatory annual submission that all UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) make to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). It’s a comprehensive report that provides detailed information about the staff working at the University. The data includes various staff demographics, employment contracts, salaries, and job role details.  

This data return contributes to the overall transparency and accountability of HEIs, and is used for national-level analysis and reporting by government, sector and funding bodies. Information derived from the data are published and used by a range of organisations and individuals, including news outlets. This information also contributes to more informed decisions at the University. 

The dataset returned to HESA includes CMS employees and all other relevant contracts, active in the reporting year, between 1 August and 31 July each year. 

Departments must ensure that all relevant data is accurate and complete by the August payroll deadline

The University must submit its complete and accurate data return in November, with final approval from the Vice-Chancellor. 

Below is an overview of the process with this year's timelines. You can view a larger version of this illustration under 'Documents' on the right.

HESA timelines outline for departments image