Planned leave
Personal appointments
Personal appointments such as a visit to the doctor, dentist, hospital clinic, solicitors etc. should, where ever possible, be made outside of normal working hours. However, the University recognises that this may not always be possible, and under these circumstances appointments should be made either first or last thing to minimise disruption to your normal working day. Employees must inform their line manager as soon as the appointment is made and agree how their time off will be treated. It is at the manager's discretion as to whether an employee is required to make up time, use annual leave or have unpaid leave. Line managers reserve the right to request sight of an appointment card.
Paid planned leave
The University will provide additional paid leave to employees in certain circumstances (e.g. to undertake work for a public body or to undertake relevant study). If you wish to apply for additional leave then you should discuss your requirements with your line manager in the first instance. Types of Planned Leave are likely to be:
Jury service
Employees summoned for Jury Service must tell their line manager as soon as possible after receiving the Jury Summons.
Employees undertaking Jury Service will receive their normal salary. If, during the Jury Service, there are any days or half days when the employee is not required at court then the employee should, where practicable, return to work.
Jury Service usually lasts for up to 2 weeks. In cases where a trial is likely to last longer, employees can serve for a longer period if they are able to do this.
Trade Union duties and activities
Members of recognised trade unions (the union recognised by the University is UCU), including recognised trade union representatives, are entitled to take a reasonable amount of time off, to take part in trade union activities. Examples of trade union activities are:
- attending workplace meetings
- meeting with their trade union representative to discuss workplace issues
- voting in a trade union election
Recognised trade union representatives are entitled to a reasonable amount of paid time off to carry out duties as an official or receive relevant training to carry out those duties. Examples of trade union duties are:
- Negotiating terms and conditions of employment
- Advising members on University procedures
- Accompanying employees to meetings regarding flexible working requests, requests not to retire, disciplinary and grievance hearings, etc.
- Discussing issues around restructuring and redundancies
The University is guided by the ACAS code and guidelines when making decisions regarding time off for trade union duties and activities (see ACAS)
When requesting time off, employees should give as much notice as possible indicating the reasons for taking the time off, and the amount of time that will be required. Representatives should not leave their duties without informing their line manager and as far as possible should ensure that their Trade Union responsibilities are discharged at times which have the minimum impact on their normal day-to-day activities.
Volunteer Reserve Service
Reservists should make their line manager aware that they are a member of the Volunteer Reserve Forces (VRF). employees who are members of Britain's VRF (Territorial Army, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force) who are required to attend an Annual Camp for training each year will receive their normal salary for a period of 1 week of the training exercise, the remaining days to be taken from the employee's normal annual leave.
Further information can be found at sabre.
These guidelines are an outline of the University's approach to handling situations where employees wish to take planned leave.