• Special Leave is a day one right.
• Part-time employees (anyone who works less than 36.25 hours per week) and employees who work less than 5-days per week (e.g., condensed working arrangements) are entitled to the same leave allowance, pro-rated to their contracted hours/days of work. 
• All leave requests will be considered fairly, promptly and with sensitivity and will be approved by the line manager.
• Requests for special leave should not be unreasonably refused.
• Employees may be requested to provide evidence in order for Special Leave to be granted. 
• All Special Leave must be recorded via the Special leave notification form (Word, 515 KB) (apart from Safe Leave; Neonatal Leave; GP/dental appointments) 

You can take a reasonable period of time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant. This leave is to allow you to deal with unexpected or sudden problems and to make longer term arrangements as necessary. This leave must be agreed with your line manager. 

Reasons may include (but not limited to):

• Caring for ill dependants, or accompanying them during an unexpected appointment/stay at hospital.
• Breakdown or unexpected disruption in care arrangements (e.g. school strike days).
• Incidents at school. 

The University provides paid emergency leave up to 7 days/50.75 hours (per rolling year).

*pro-rated for part-time employees and employees who do not work a 5-day working week. 

The University defines a carer as anyone caring for a spouse, civil partner, child, parent or other dependant (e.g. someone else who depends on your care or can reasonably rely on you providing or arranging care) who needs care because of a disability, old age or any illness or injury. The activities that carers undertake are wide ranging and can include (but not limited to):

• Helping with personal care
• Helping with mobility
• Managing medication
• Carrying out practical household tasks
• Assisting with financial matters/administration
• Organising care arrangements e.g., to enable the individual to continue living at home 
• Providing emotional support
• Accompanying someone who reasonably relies on them for care to a planned medical appointment. (For clarity, this leave will cover pre-planned healthcare appointments for dependants). 

The University provides paid leave up to 5 days/36.25 hours* (per rolling year) to assist employees who have caring responsibilities. This leave will normally be planned/requested in advance of taking the leave.

To be eligible, employees are required to opt-in to the University's Carer Register located in HR Self-Service (under My Forms) and notify their line manager to request to take this leave. 

*pro-rated for part-time staff or staff who do not work a 5-day working week. 

Employees can take a reasonable period of time off work to deal with a genuine urgent unforeseen domestic emergency which is not covered by any of the other types of leave. (This may include fire, flood or theft at home).  This leave must be agreed with your manager. 

Employees can request up to 3 days paid leave/21.75 hours* (per rolling year) to take necessary action to deal with the unexpected or sudden emergency. The time taken should be enough to deal with, manage and respond to the emergency and/or make longer term arrangements. 

Employees who have a child that meets the definition of neonatal care as outlined in the
Neonatal Care Leave policy will be eligible to request neonatal leave. This may paid or unpaid depending on whether the employee met the eligibility criteria to receive the University’s occupational/enhanced package for the child (as outlined in the relevant policy e.g. maternity/paternity). 

Eligible employees will be entitled to NCL on full pay*, equivalent equivalent to the number of days the baby received neonatal care for at least 7 consecutive days. This leave is capped at 12 weeks.

NCL can be taken in one block (e.g. at the end of the family leave) or taken as non-consecutive periods of at least one week. NCL must be taken no later than 68 weeks from the child’s date of birth.

You should notify your line manager if the baby has been admitted into neonatal care (for at least 7 days) and notify them once your baby has been discharged. You and your line manager will agree when the leave will be taken. Your line manager will then email HR Support to accurately record and process the leave. 

*pro-rated for part-time staff or staff who do not work a 5-day working week. 

Employees who suffer the loss of a child, regardless of age, which includes individuals who suffer a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy are entitled to take 2 weeks paid leave. 

This leave may be taken as one block, or as two non-consecutive one-week blocks, at any time during the 56 weeks following the death of the child. This leave cannot be taken as individual days. 

This entitlement includes not only birth parents, but also the partner of the child’s parent, surrogacy and adoptive parents.

The purpose of Compassionate Leave is to allow staff time away from work in certain circumstances.  These circumstances could be the death or serious illness of a close relative or other person whether related or not who plays a significant part in your life. 

Individual circumstances, the nature of the relationship, and the required observances of different religions may vary, therefore each case will be assessed individually.  Employees should discuss the circumstances with their line manager, and/or the HRBP. 

Employees who are victims of violence, assault or abuse of any kind, including victims of identity-based hate crime, may be granted up to 10-days paid safe leave for the purposes of protecting themselves (and their family) and make necessary arrangements. Reasons include but are not limited to:

• Attending medical appointments or counselling relating to the violence, assault or abuse;
• Attending legal proceedings such as court/police appointments;
• Seeking protection e.g. safe housing;
• Visiting legal advisors or support agencies e.g. for re-housing or re-organising childcare, or for other relevant/specialised services relating to the violence, assault or abuse.

Safe leave may be taken as a block of up to 10 days (pro-rated for part time employees) or as intermittent periods of absence. 

Requests for safe leave and information disclosed will be handled in the strictest confidence. Employees who require safe leave should raise this with their line manager or email HR Confidential. Alternatively, the employee can request to speak with an appropriate adviser via Report & Support.

Employees who are receiving and recovering from fertility treatment are entitled to paid time off up to 5-days/36.25 hours*, per cycle of treatment, limited to one cycle in 12-months (no more than 3 cycles in total).

The leave is specifically associated with the fertility cycle (i.e. consultant appointments, monitoring and collection of eggs and embryo transfer). 

GP/Dental Appointments 

Employees should attempt to arrange appointments outside of working hours, or at the start/end of shifts wherever possible to minimise disruption. If scheduling outside of working hours is not possible, employees are allowed up to 2 paid hours for GP/dental appointments, including travel time. All staff should minimise the time needed, with the expectation that local appointments may require less than the full 2 hours.

Hospital Appointments

Time off for hospital appointments must be recorded using the Special Leave Notification Form. For regular or longer appointments, line managers may request proof. If appointments are related to a disability or ongoing health condition, employees are encouraged to inform their line manager for potential support options, such as flexible working or remote work on appointment days.

Elective or non-medically necessary procedures, including some dental surgeries, should be scheduled outside of working hours or taken as annual leave.

If complications from such procedures result in an inability to work, normal sickness absence procedures and medical certification will apply.

If cosmetic surgery is medically necessary for health reasons, with supporting evidence, standard sickness absence policies apply. Note: Line managers reserve the right to ask for proof of the medical appointment to warrant a period of sickness absence.

If you are summoned for jury service, or are requested to appear as a witness in court, you should report this to your line manager as soon as possible so that preparations for your absence can be made in advance.  

Employees will be granted leave to attend. The University will pay you as normal for the first 10 days required at court. If the requirement to attend court extends beyond 10 days, the employee will be required to claim an allowance for loss of earnings directly from the court. The Certificate of Loss of Earnings must be sent to Pay and Pensions for approval. 

Employees will normally be granted 2 weeks paid leave per year. Reservists will be required to provide copies of any documentation prior to the leave being approved. Existing reservists are also expected to inform their line manager of their next reengagement.

Essential Civic or Public Duties