How much holiday do I get? Calculate your holiday entitlement

1. Policy statement

  1. This policy supports the well-being of our colleagues, promoting an effective work-life balance, ensuring that employees return to work refreshed and ready to contribute to the University's strategy.
  2. This policy aims to be fair, transparent, and flexible, recognizing the diverse needs of our staff, while also supporting sustained employee engagement and productivity.
  3. Annual leave entitlement for full-time employees is 30 days (including 3 or 4 closure days between Christmas and New Year), plus 8 Public holidays , reduced pro-rata if less than full-time hours are worked.
  4. Casual Workers are entitled to 28 days paid annual leave, including public/statutory holidays, reduced pro-rata if less than full-time hours are worked.
  5. All employees are expected to take their annual leave in full within the annual leave year.

2. Scope

  1. This policy applies to all employees and casual workers at the University.

3. Procedure

  1. The annual leave year runs from 1 August until 31 July.
  2. Employees joining or leaving the University will be granted a proportion of the annual leave entitlement at the rate of 1/365th for each day of employment
  3. Casual workers will be paid for their annual leave at a rate of 12.07% for each hour worked
  4. Guidance on the calculation of annual leave for part time employees
  5. The 8 Public/Statutory holidays annual leave included within your allowance are:
    • Christmas Day
    • Boxing Day
    • New Year’s Day
    • Good Friday
    • Easter Monday
    • May Day Bank Holiday
    • Spring Bank Holiday
    • August Bank Holiday
  6. Subject to prior arrangement with your Line Manager you may carry forward up to 5 days annual leave into the next year, leave should only be carried forward on an irregular basis to ensure everyone benefits from taking their full leave entitlement.
  7. Any annual leave carried forward should be used within the first three months of the new leave year.
  8. Where a line manager does not approve that a colleague may carry over up to 5 days annual leave or a colleague has annual leave in excess of the approved carry over this will be lost
  9. Any leave untaken in excess of 5 days will normally be lost unless an employee has been unable to take their annual leave due to long term sickness, family leave or other significant absence within the last 6 months of the annual leave year and with the express permission from the relevant Head of Department / School / Service. Employees should ensure that they have used any additional carry forward by the end of the new leave year.
  10. Managers should review leave requests in a timely manner, usually within 2-3 days
  11. The University will not pay employees for leave not taken as an alternative to carrying it over to the next leave year.

4. Roles and responsibilities

Role Responsible for
Employees
  • Keeping a record of annual leave allowance and leave taken
  • Ensuring that adequate leave is retained for use on ‘Customary Leave’ days and Public / Statutory holidays
  • Identifying well in advance situations where the amount of leave untaken may lead to problems
Line Managers
  • Authorising and monitoring the taking of annual leave by their staff
  • Identifying well in advance situations where the amount of leave untaken may lead to problems
Heads of Department
  • Considering and, where appropriate, authorising carry over of additional annual leave following a period of significant absence.

Document control

  • Last reviewed: 1 September 2025