Working Hours, Holidays, Leave and Absence

The Annual Leave arrangements applying to all staff can be found in the document below:

• Annual Leave Regulations for All Staff

Staff are entitled to, in any one leave year, 41 days (Monday - Friday) as holidays with pay. The 41 days entitlement shall normally include:

• 30 days for annual leave
• 4 days public/statutory/local holidays (treated as normal annual leave)
• 4 days when the University is closed for public/statutory/local holidays as follows
  • Christmas Day
  • Boxing Day
  • New Year's Day
  • 2 January
• 3 University closed days to be taken during the Christmas and New Year vacation

(or days in lieu if these fall on a Saturday or Sunday)

Calculating Annual Leave Entitlement

A part-time member of staff who is employed throughout the whole year shall be entitled to holidays with pay, the rate of pay being proportionate to their shorter working period. Staff (either whole or part-time) who are employed regularly for only part of a year shall be granted holidays proportionate to their total period of actual service in the leave year.

The pro rata calculation to establish entitlement will be based on the overall holiday entitlement (41 days).

You can calculate your entitlement using the Annual Leave Calculator.

The Purchase of Annual Leave Scheme has been introduced as a benefit for staff to increase the degree of flexibility in planned time off.

For more information go to to the Purchase of Annual Leave Scheme page.

Should you be prevented by illness from attending work, you should contact your line manager/Head of School as early as possible on the first day of your absence, ideally before your normal starting time or within 60 minutes of it. The reason for your absence should be given, with an estimate of its probable duration, in order that alternative arrangements within the School/Section can be made where necessary.

If you cannot give an indication of your estimated date of return to work, initially you should contact your Line Manager every morning within the timeframe noted above to advise them of your continuing absence or to provide a probable return date when you have a clearer view of when this might be.

For all periods of absence, including part days of absence, you are required to provide your line manager with a completed Self-Certification Form. In addition, a doctor's medical certificate is required from the 8th calendar day of absence.

For further information on reporting absence please contact your HR Adviser.

Entitlement to payment for a period of absence due to illness is calculated on a rolling twelve-month period. This means that any paid sickness absence in the previous twelve months will be taken into account when calculating your entitlement to University sick pay.

For Support Staff (Grades 1-4) entitlement to payment for a period of sickness absence in accordance with the University Sick Pay Scheme will be on the following Scale:

For Academic and Academic Related staff (Grades 5 and above) the following entitlement will apply:

Full salary for any period up to six months; followed by a further consecutive period of up to six months on half salary, during any rolling 12 month period.

The calculation of sick pay is the responsibility of the Payroll Office. Every Monday, each Section must return a report on sickness in respect of the previous week. Reports should list all staff within the Section and can now be submitted electronically by authorised personnel.

If you require further information regarding the calculation of sick pay, please contact Payroll.