Employee FAQs

How much time can I take off for volunteering?

Employees can take two additional days of paid leave per year, pro rata to their contract, to volunteer. The two days can be taken between 1 October and 30 September each year.

What kind of volunteering can I do?

The days off allow employees to volunteer for a charity, organisation or other good cause.

Some teams may decide to use the day together and volunteer as a group.

The types of volunteering that will be approved are entirely at the discretion of the University. The University will only approve volunteer leave if the following principles are satisfied:

1. The activity benefits the community;
2. The activity relates to the charitable objectives of the University, namely “education, learning and research through the provision, support and maintenance of a University”;
3. The activity is not connected to political activities;
4. The activity does not promote discrimination, hatred or extreme political/religious views;
5. The activity does not conflict with the staff member’s role or responsibilities.

Volunteering for University-led activities, such as Open Days, Graduation and Clearing does not fall under this policy and additional time-off to volunteer for these and similar activities is not required.

Can I take less than a whole day to volunteer?

This can be discussed with the line manager to agree shorter periods of time off for volunteering, as long as the volunteer leave does not exceed 2 days (or pro rata to the part time contract) per year and the line manager agrees the volunteering can be accommodated in this way while business needs are met.

Guidance on recording the agreement is contained in the Manager FAQs, it will be managed between the line manager and employee.

Can I use the days for volunteering I already do?

Yes, assuming it fits the above criteria. You may not be able to cover all the hours you usually volunteer, but you can use the volunteering leave to cover part of the hours.

Can I use the policy to volunteer as a magistrate, local councillor, school governor, or to carry out other public duties?

No, there is a separate policy for Voluntary Public Duties that covers leave for these specific duties.

What do I need to do to take volunteering leave?

First, speak to your line manager in good time to request your leave. Your line manager will need to fill out the Volunteering Leave Approval Form

Once your line manager has completed the form, your leave will be approved. After you have completed your volunteering, you will be sent an evaluation form from the University’s volunteering team which you will need to complete.

Where can I find volunteering opportunities?

You can source your own volunteering opportunities by searching online or contacting local charities you are aware of.

Additionally, you can contact volunteer@reading.ac.uk to find out about possible opportunities.

Please note that the University does not vet every volunteering opportunity, so staff should do their own due diligence before taking on a volunteer role.

Can I appeal rejection for volunteering leave?

Where a request for volunteering leave is not approved, there is no right of appeal against this decision.

If your request was denied for reasons of workload or a busy time for the team, you may be able to find a better time to take the time off.

Can I carry over volunteering days?

No, time allowances for volunteering cannot be carried forward from one annual leave year to the next.

Who can I contact with questions about the volunteering policy?

If you have questions about the policy specifically, please contact hr@reading.ac.uk

For questions about volunteering, including questions about possible volunteering opportunities, please contact volunteer@reading.ac.uk.