Annual Leave

All staff have 38 days of annual leave each year, pro rata if working part-time. The HR Team will calculate your 'personal' entitlement, once public holidays and fixed closure days are deducted, and these days (or hours) are available for you to book and amend via the online booking form on TeamSeer. The annual leave year runs for October to September.

Annual leave should always be approved in advance by your line manager. Please submit requests as soon as possible so we can ensure cover is available.

Please set up your out-of-office messages for email and Teams to let others know when you will be back in the office, and give an alternative contact for while you are away (check that they are happy to cover additional enquiries, and that they aren't also on leave when you are!).

Managing leave

Managers should ensure staff not only take their leave but also that they book their leave responsibly and, where operationally possible, that all leave is taken by the end of the leave year.

A maximum of five days (pro-rata for part-time staff) can be carried over to the following leave year and these must then be taken by the end of the calendar year. Please refer to the departmental policy if you know you will have more than 5 days leave to carry over.

It is not possible to receive payment for holidays which are not used.

Fixed Closure days

Fixed closure days offer a good opportunity for the whole PSS team to take a break, with the operational benefit of everyone being out on the same day, and the chance to communicate this to academic colleagues in advance. For the fixed closure day falling during term-time at Easter, we encourage you to take the day off but leave it to you to discuss and agree on individual arrangements with your line manager in advance. The same goes for the two public holidays each May, noting that TOIL will be granted at flat rate should you prefer to work. Leave on fixed closure days is the default setting on Team Seer - whatever you decide in discussion with your line manager, do record it on Team Seer, and do ensure that you take the leave days to which you are entitled.

Additional Annual Leave Scheme

This scheme offers staff on support and academic-related contracts the opportunity to request an additional 5 days of annual leave (pro-rata for part-time staff). Where approved, the additional leave is added to your annual leave entitlement for the year and then used in the same way as standard annual leave. The cost of the additional days can either be met by a salary reduction at the time that the leave is taken, or through an arrangement whereby the leave is exchanged against salary over a period of up to 12 months (‘salary sacrifice’), in order to reduce the impact of the salary reduction. Please contact the HR Team if you would like to make an application.

Overseas working alongside annual leave

Recognising that many staff have not been able to spend time with family abroad during the Covid 19 pandemic, for a temporary period, the department wishes to support requests from the PSS teams to spend a limited amount of time working overseas when requested in conjunction with annual leave.

Requests will be considered and approved by the HAF, noting the following:

This is a temporary scheme in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, exceptionally in place until 31 March 2023
Your primary purpose of travel overseas should be for annual leave
You must have the right to work in the country in which you propose to work
The department may allow you to work overseas for the same amount of time as you are requesting in annual leave, i.e. if you request ten working days of annual leave, the department may match your request and allow you to work overseas for ten working days.
You may be allowed to work overseas for up to a total of 15 working days within the next 12 months
You must agree your proposed hours of work with your line manager in advance, taking into account any time difference, so that you can continue to meet the operational needs of your role
You are responsible for ensuring that you have an appropriate work environment and set-up in the location in which you propose to work, including adequate Wi-Fi, so that you can continue to meet the operational needs of your role
Any request must be made with the prior agreement of your line manager

This is subject to the limitations and full University guidance on overseas working is set out on the HR Support and Finance pages.

Long Service Leave

The University acknowledges long service with additional annual leave, starting with an extra day after 5 years' continuous service - find out more here.

Emergency / Carers' leave

Absence from work to attend to acute/unexpected caring responsibilities or domestic emergencies will normally be paid in the first instance to enable you to make the necessary arrangements for continued care or attention. Such paid leave will normally be limited to a period ranging from half a day to no more than two days. No more than five days paid leave of this type may be taken in any 12 month period. This is in line with central guidance.

Other Leave

This isn't an exhaustive list and you might need to make an exceptional request. There is extensive guidance on the HR support pages, and you should always talk first to your line manager or the HR Team. Any such requests should be made in advance to the Head of Administration and Finance with your Line Manager's permission; the department will consider the case, and may exceptionally grant additional leave, with or without pay, depending on the nature of the leave required. Find out more here