Assistant staff
2023 Leave information - Additional bank holiday (37 days 2023 only). See HR Division webpages.
For assistant staff, holiday entitlement runs from January to December. If you start work after the beginning of the leave year your entitlement for that year will be calculated pro rata to the proportion of the leave year remaining.
Holiday entitlement for full time assistant staff is 36 days annually including 8 public holidays, pro rata’d for part time staff. You are entitled to additional long-service leave of one day after nine years of unbroken service and subsequently one additional day for each period of three years of unbroken service up to a maximum of four days after eighteen years of service. A maximum of five days can be carried over and must be used within three months of the new year.
The Department normally closes over the Christmas and Easter periods with the required holiday deducted from your leave record at the beginning of each year. Although annual leave entitlement for assistant staff includes bank holidays, assistant staff are normally required to book these days and the preference is that assistant staff take public holidays off outside term time.
On occasion leave may not be granted if it does not meet the Department’s needs. During the busy summer holiday period, technical and secretarial staff need to ensure that there is adequate cover in order that the Department can remain open and fully functional.
If you have leave owing to you at the end of your employment you will be entitled to receive payment in lieu of the untaken leave. Similarly a deduction will be taken from your final salary payment if you have already taken more leave than entitled to.
Online Leave Calendar
- You must request and book all leave through the online leave calendar as of 01 January 2021.
- To access this click on the above link, log in using your Raven password and click on 'manage leave' for yourself.
- A pdf user guide is also available.
- Survey results May 2021 regarding online leave calendar system.
Academic-related and Contract research staff
Holiday entitlement runs from 1st October to 30th September and is 41 days for those working full-time (based on a five-day working week, and pro-rata for part-time) inclusive of public holidays (see above for additional bank holiday 2023). For contracts issued for new part-time employees from 1 October 2022, annual leave will be pro rata’d based on days worked. Please click here to access the calculator for pro rata annual leave. This entitlement is pro rata in the holiday year of commencement of employment and in the year your employment terminates. Periods of University closure, other than public holidays will be taken as part of the annual leave. The remaining leave is taken at times that suit both the individual and the department.
You are required to keep a record of your annual leave. This can be done using the online leave calendar - a user guide is available.The Annual Leave Record Chart can also be used if preferred. A maximum of five days can be carried over by full time staff and pro rata’d according to the number of days worked per week for part time staff. This must be used within three months of the new year.
Leave after termination of employment
If your employment terminates and you have not taken your accrued entitlement, you will be entitled to take the balance of holiday due before your service ends. In circumstances where your head of institution finds it impractical to grant you this entitlement before your service ends, you will be paid salary in lieu of annual leave under the Working Time Regulations. However, payment is not offered as an alternative to taking your holiday.
All staff
The Department normally closes over the Christmas and Easter periods and details are set out on your leave sheet/calendar with the required holiday deducted from your leave at the beginning of each year. Although annual leave entitlement for assistant staff includes bank holidays, assistant staff are normally required to book these days and the preference is that assistant staff take public holidays off outside term time.
On occasion leave may not be granted if it does not meet the Department’s needs. During the busy summer holiday period, technical and secretarial staff ensure that there is adequate cover in order that the Department can remain open and fully functional.
You must request and agree all holidays in advance with your manager.
If you have leave owing to you at the end of your employment you will be entitled to receive payment in lieu of the untaken leave. Similarly a deduction will be taken from your final salary payment if you have already taken more leave than entitled to.
Public and Bank Holidays
The days of public and bank holidays in England and Wales are:
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With the exception of the public holidays around Easter and Christmas, the Department is open every public holiday as a normal working day.
If you are asked by your line manager to work on a public holiday you will be compensated in accordance with the rules set out in the online assistant staff handbook.
Maternity and Paternity Leave - for all enquiries please contact Kathleen Pickett or Marita Walsh and/or see the university maternity and paternity policies.
Special Leave
The University recognises that there may be occasions when employees need to take time off work for reasons that do not necessarily fall under normal leave provisions. A range of special leave options are summarised below to help employees achieve an appropriate balance between their work and personal commitments. For further details pelase consult the University's Special Leave Policy.
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Stipend |
Conditions and documentation |
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Compassionate leave |
The existing compassionate leave provisions under the Assistant Staff Rules, Assistant Staff Handbook, Staff Guide and Summary of Leave Table will apply. Further guidance is available. |
Compassionate leave covers bereavement or serious illness of a close family member or dependant. It is granted according to the circumstances. |
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Emergency leave |
Normally up to 2 days unpaid leave on each occasion. May be combined with compassionate leave/annual leave as appropriate. |
Emergency leave covers genuine unforeseen emergences for reasons connected with dependants or unexpected domestic or other emergencies. It is granted according to the circumstances. |
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Essential civic and public duties |
The University will grant reasonable unpaid time off to those employees who hold public positions as set out under s.50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. |
The employee should complete form CHRIS/68. Documentation from the relevant official body will be required in support of the application. |
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Service in the Reserve Forces |
Reservists required to undertake training on a normal working day will be required to take annual leave or may request unpaid leave. |
Where the employee is called up this will be treated as unpaid leave. The employee should complete form CHRIS/68. Documentation from the relevant official body will be required in support of the application. |
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Jury Service |
The University will ‘top up’ any sums reimbursed to the level of the employee's normal salary. |
The employee should complete form CHRIS/68. The jury summons should be provided in support of the application. A receipt of reimbursement must also be provided within 3 months, where applicable. |
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Attendance in court as a witness |
If summonsed to appear as a witness in a private capacity, the employee may request annual leave or unpaid leave. |
Annual leave should be requested in the normal way or the employee should complete form CHRIS/68 to request unpaid leave. The witness summons should be provided where applicable. |
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Fertility treatment |
Up to 5 days paid leave in a 12 month period for female employees undergoing fertility treatment, or up to 2 days paid leave to provide support to a partner who is undergoing fertility treatment. |
Individuals who are following a course of fertility treatment and have been employed by the University for one continuous year are eligible to apply. The employee should complete form CHRIS/68. Confirmation of treatment will be required at the point of application. |
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Surgery/procedures and elective surgery |
Time off for surgery or treatment and recuperation that relates to a medical or psychological condition and is supported by a medical certificate, will be treated as sick leave in the same manner as any other medical appointment. In cases of elective surgery, treatment and recuperation (i.e. cosmetic and/or surgery not medically necessary), annual leave should be taken in the first instance or unpaid leave if appropriate and in agreement with the institution concerned. |
The employee should complete form CHRIS/68. Medical certification may be required as set out in policy. |
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Gender reassignment |
Requests for time off for medical treatment relating to gender reassignment will be managed and recorded in accordance with the University Ill-Health and Sickness Absence procedures, ie treated as time off for illness or other medical appointments. Reasonable requests for time off for non-medical treatment will be considered subject to operational requirements. Normally annual leave or unpaid leave will be considered for these purposes. |
The employee should complete form CHRIS/68. Medical certification may be required as set out in policy. |
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Religious or belief-related obligations |
Employees may use their annual leave entitlement to request time off for religious or belief-related purposes. |
Annual leave should be requested in the normal way. |
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Voluntary work |
Annual leave entitlement must be used for the days that the employee will be absent from work. Unpaid leave may be granted under exceptional circumstances. |
Annual leave should be requested in the normal way. For exceptional circumstances requests for unpaid leave to undertake voluntary work should be submitted by completing form CHRIS/68. Documentation from the relevant organisation will be required in support of the application. |