Staff Handbook Section 5 - Holiday Entitlement and Conditions
Index to section 5
Conditions Applying to Your Annual Holiday Entitlement
Bank and Other Public Holidays
1. Your holiday year begins on 1st October and ends on 30th September each year. Your annual holiday entitlement is shown in your contract.
2. All full-time staff members shall be entitled to 36 days' paid leave each year. This includes an allowance of eight days in lieu of Public Holidays.
CONDITIONS APPLYING TO YOUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENT
3. During the first thirteen weeks of employment, leave will accrue from week to week and may be taken retrospectively. Statutory leave will accrue during sick leave, but must be taken in the relevant leave year.
4. Part Time Staff. Any staff member who works throughout the year, but for less than the standard number of hours, shall be entitled to the pro rata equivalent of 36 days' paid holiday at the individual's basic rate of pay. This entitlement also includes Public Holidays. During the first thirteen weeks of employment, leave will accrue from week to week on a pro rata basis and may be taken retrospectively. Leave will accrue during periods of sick leave, but must be taken in the relevant leave year.
5. Casual and Temporary Staff. Casual or temporary employees shall be entitled to the pro rata equivalent of 36 days' paid holiday at their basic rate of pay. This entitlement includes an allowance of eight days in lieu of Public Holidays. During the first thirteen weeks of employment, leave will accrue from week to week on a pro rata basis. Accrued holiday pay is paid at Christmas, Easter and before the College closes in August. Leave will accrue during periods of sick leave, but must be taken in the relevant leave year.
6. Carrying Leave Forward. It is the College’s policy to encourage you to take all of your holiday entitlement in the current holiday year. You are, however, permitted to carry forward annual holiday entitlement up to a maximum of 7 days, to the following holiday year with the prior written permission of your Head of Department. You may only carry forward any entitlement that is in excess of the Working Time Regulations minimum holiday entitlement. Any holiday carried forward must be taken by 31st December following the end of the holiday year.
7. Unauthorised Absence. All periods of absence, except those resulting from sickness or injury or which are otherwise authorized, shall count against annual leave with pay.
8. In all cases, the actual dates, on which holidays can be taken, will be authorized by the Head of Department. Leave applications should be submitted to your Head of Department for approval. When the College, or parts of it, are officially closed, such periods will be deducted from annual leave allowances.
9. Additional Leave Days. In order to engender loyalty and improve morale amongst the College’s staff and as a means of improving staff retention, additional annual leave shall be granted at the rate of one additional day after nine years' unbroken service and up to three further additional days at the rate of one additional day for each completed period of three years' unbroken service thereafter, giving a maximum of 40 days annually after 18 years' service.
10. Annual holidays must be taken at times approved by the Head of Department, to fit in with the workload of the department. Heads of Department can specify when some or all leave can be taken. This means that staff members may be required to take, for example, five or more days at Christmas, Easter or some other period when the College is fully closed.
BANK AND OTHER PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
11. Your entitlement to take leave on public or bank holidays, and to any additional payment that may be made for working on a public or bank holiday, is shown in your contract. Unless there is specific provision in your contract, there is no statutory entitlement to take leave on public or bank holidays, with or without pay. In some circumstances it may be necessary to work on public holidays. When these fall during Full Term they will be treated as normal working days and no additional leave or payment will be granted.
12. On termination of employment, a staff member will be entitled to take the earned balance of annual leave before service ends. The earned balance due is that part of the total annual leave entitlement generated by the part of the year already worked. If the Head of Department finds it impracticable to grant the full holiday entitlement before service ends then salary may be paid in lieu of leave; however, payment is not offered automatically as an alternative to taking holiday. Similarly if a staff member exceeds the proportion of leave entitlement before service ends, a deduction from the final salary payment due will be calculated in proportion to the excess leave taken.
13. Payment in Lieu. Payment in lieu of annual leave remaining at the time of termination of the contract will be made at the individual's basic rate.
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