Dr Jo McBride

Jo joined Durham University in June 2018 from Newcastle University Business School where she had been a Senior Lecturer of Industrial Relations, Work and Employment for 5 years. Prior to that, Jo worked at Bradford University School of Management for 10 years holding various positions and before that was at Northumbria University. Her career in the field of Industrial Relations began with the Banking, Insurance and Finance Union through her early working years at Lloyds Bank PLC. From there, she went on to achieve a First Class Honours Degree in Human Organisations then conducted a Phd on the dynamics of the employment relationship in the Tyneside Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Industry.

Jo has researched, taught, designed and led varying modules relating to industrial relations and the sociology of the world of work. She takes a critical approach to studying the world of work and the reality of working lives. A major focus has been on themes such as collectivism in its different forms, social perceptions of the value of jobs and the causes and consequences of low paid work and multiple employment. This latter topic is her research project in progress and she is currently writing up a final report for policy makers, trade unions and employers. This particular project has gained much attention and Jo and her colleague have presented their findings at various outlets including the House of Lords, union meetings, Local government events and the Durham Miners Gala. She has disseminated her findings at many public events sharing platforms with for example, Yvette Cooper MP and Sir Ken Loach. 

Jo has also used her knowledge and experience proactively in the world of work being a member of the Employee Relations Institute Executive Board joining HR Directors of large multinational organisations, General Secretaries of Trade Unions and Peers of the House of Lords. She has also been invited to be an Expert Discussant for varying ‘end of large projects’ including more recently the final colloquium of an EU funded project Changing Employment Final Colloquium: Policy/Social Impact of changing employment held at Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.

She is a the current President of the British Universities Industrial Relations Association (BUIRA) which is is one of the largest academic associations in the United Kingdom aimed at promoting the study of employment relations across relevant academic disciplines.

Full profile.