This guidance aims to support both managers and employees in the application of the University Special Leave policy and procedure.

Approving Special Leave

Line managers have the discretion to determine whether many types of special leave are granted and for how long.

When considering requests, managers need to be mindful that whilst we need to be consistent, colleagues are requesting Special Leave at the same time as experiencing significant life events. In addition to considering the request managers should consider other forms of support which could include a mixture of the following:

• The University Health and Wellbeing pages
• The Employee assistance programme
• Annual leave
• Flexi leave
• Time Off In Lieu
• A temporary adjustment to duties
• A temporary flexible working arrangement
• A temporary reduction in hours
• Adjusting hours of work

When considering some types of special leave you may need to consider the nature of a colleagues personal relationship. Typically ‘Close relative’ would refer to someone in the immediate family (e.g. parent, sibling, spouse, partner, child and often includes grandparents). However, flexibility is required to ensure we are inclusive to the many diverse forms of family and personal relationships.

In these cases managers should also be mindful of the support available from other family members, and the employees’ responsibilities for the deceased.

Colleagues who are Reservist or Carers have a legal entitlement to unpaid special leave in certain circumstances, you should contact Human Resources for more information if you are unable to accommodate requests related to these responsibilities.

The amount of Bereavement or Compassionate will depend on the employee's personal circumstance. Managers are encouraged to be compassionate of employees' situation and should be mindful of the different types of family and personal impact a bereavement will have.

Examples of Bereavement Leave:

• A parent passes away, and a colleague requests five days of special leave to arrange the memorial service and support their family. The manager grants five days of paid bereavement leave and allows a colleague to work remotely for two weeks to support their family making arrangements.
• A grandparent passes away. The manager grants two days bereavement leave, including one day to attend a family memorial service.
• A cousin passes away. The colleague arranges with their manager that they will use a day of flexi leave to attend the memorial service and agrees to adjusted working times to enable the colleague to travel.

Examples of Compassionate Leave:

• A colleague’s child is unexpectedly admitted to hospital for two nights following an accident, and they need to take five days off work. The manager grants two days of special leave and the employee uses a day of Carers Leave and two days of annual leave to care for the child at home.
• A colleague’s partner is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and they need time off to provide emotional and practical support. The manager grants a period of compassionate leave, and discusses with the employee whether a career break might be appropriate.

Practical considerations

During periods of Special Leave

Managers should:

• Put keep in touch arrangements in place with the employee before the leave commences (especially for long-term cases)
• Be aware that it is generally unreasonable to rescind Special Leave once it has been granted (unless it is no longer required)

Returning to work after Special Leave

Managers should:

• Arrange to meet with the employee, bring them up to date with any work matters that have arisen in their absence and check whether they need any support as they return to work.
• Be aware that if an employee fails to return to work after a period of Special Leave, the continued absence will be treated as unauthorised.

Recording Leave via FlexiLeave

Special leave should be recorded in the Flexileave system under the ‘Other Leave’ category.

Employees are responsible for inputting the leave, ensuring accurate records.

Special leave should be separate from annual leave and not deducted from an employee’s annual leave entitlement.

Payroll Notification

If the leave is unpaid, managers are responsible for notifying the payroll team as soon as possible to ensure accurate salary adjustments. You can notify payroll by forwarding the employee's Application for Special Leave form to payroll at the same time you send it to HR.