Annual leave and entitlements

We’re a people-focused, world-leading university and employer, and offering sabbatical leave is a fundamental strand of this. Academic colleagues​ can request a period of dedicated time to pursue research initiatives related to education and/or other career development activities, in line with the departmental or university strategy.

We’re committed to providing policies and arrangements that promote and support a good work-life balance. We recognise that some colleagues may wish to take an extended break from work for personal reasons, so our career break scheme provides this opportunity.

We recognise that there may be times when it’s necessary to take a period of unpaid leave. We offer absences of between two weeks and six months to all colleagues, regardless of length of service. Any unpaid leave won’t affect your normal annual leave entitlement or any service-related benefits such as additional holidays for years of service.

We’re a family-friendly employer and are committed to supporting colleagues with parenting and/or caring responsibilities alongside their job. Whether these responsibilities include caring for a child or another dependent, we support our employees and work with them to facilitate a good work-life balance.

The University's special leave policy​ includes time off to care for dependents, bereavement, deal with an emergency, attend to public duties (eg jury duty or reserved forces), medical appointments, examinations and exam revision.

Between each of your children’s birth and their eighteenth birthday, you’re able to take eighteen weeks’ unpaid leave. The leave must be taken in blocks of at least one week (unless the child has a disability), with no more than four weeks in any 12-month period. One week will be equivalent to the length of the employee's normal working week.

If your baby is born before 37 weeks gestation (based on your official due date), they’ll be classed as premature. If your (or your adopted) baby is born prematurely, you’re entitled to compassionate leave on full pay.

For mothers or adopters, this will be for a period equivalent to the time from the date of the baby’s birth until the baby’s due date. HMRC rules mean that if a baby arrives early, maternity leave must start on the day after the baby’s birth. Therefore, Premature Baby Compassionate Leave will be recorded after the end of your Statutory Maternity Pay/Maternity Allowance.

For fathers/partners, you may take up to 2 working weeks of leave at any point from the end of your paternity leave until your child’s first birthday. This may be taken in blocks or as individual days and all colleagues, regardless of their maternity, paternity or adoption entitlements, are eligible for premature baby leave.

If you are adopting as a couple, only one partner can take adoption leave, which is 52 weeks.

Their partner is entitled to maternity or paternity leave and, in certain circumstances, has the option of sharing their partner's adoption leave as Shared Parental Leave.

Colleagues who become parents through surrogacy are entitled to the same arrangements as those who adopt.

We offer 52 weeks’ statutory maternity leave, regardless of length of service. Leave can begin any time from 11 weeks before your expected week of childbirth (EWC) up to the day you give birth. By law, you must take 2 weeks’ compulsory leave from work following childbirth.

Regardless of your length of service, we’re proud to offer Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP), which is well above the legal minimum. Maternity pay is broken down as follows:

• 18 weeks’ OMP – this is your full basic pay
• 21 weeks of either Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or 90% of your Statutory Maternity Pay average weekly earnings (whichever is lower)
• the remaining 13 weeks’ leave is unpaid

Find out more about eligibility for the Statutory Maternity Pay set by the government.

We understand that this is a deeply distressing and sad experience. If you suffer a stillbirth (after 24 weeks) or suffer a neonatal bereavement, we will give you your full maternity/paternity pay.

If your baby is hospitalised as a neonatal but not premature, we give you special leave under our leave for dependents policy.

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) enables two people who share the main caring responsibility for a child at the time of birth or placement for adoption to share maternity or adoption leave entitlement. The mother or primary adopter must always take the first 2 weeks of leave, then all or a proportion of the remaining leave can be converted to SPL.

SPL can then be taken by the partner or shared between the mother or primary adopter and the partner. The total amount of maternity or adoption leave and SPL taken by the two people cannot exceed the original entitlement of 52 weeks.

To be eligible for paternity leave, you must be:

• the baby's biological father
• the spouse or partner of the mother

You should also have or expect to have responsibility for the upbringing of the child. By requesting this leave, you’ll help care for the child or support the child's mother.

We’re proud to be one of few universities that offers Occupational Paternity Pay (OPP) regardless of your length of service. We offer four weeks’ OPP, and your time off can be taken off from the birth date of your child to eight weeks after your child’s birth.