Staff at Baptist University's School of Communication are upset over a new appraisal measure, which they claim will allow 'irrelevant outsiders' to rate their job performance upon renewal of contracts.
They fear the move will be abused and become a tool for the school's dean to fire anyone he chooses.
At the centre of the dispute is a new appraisal measure that applies to about 30 non-teaching staff members, mainly administrative staff and supporting technicians, at the school.
On renewal of the contract of a non-teaching employee, the school's dean will invite lecturers, students and fellow non-teaching staff members to participate in an online poll to rate an employee's performance.
The poll results will serve as reference when a review panel, appointed by the dean, determines whether to recommend that a worker's contract be renewed.
Baptist University Faculty and Staff Union secretary Gloria Ng Chan Chung-hay said: 'Not all students know or have worked with, say, a technician, if they have not taken the relevant courses. So why should they be allowed to appraise the technician?'