Sabbatical Policy

We offer sabbatical’s to employees who have held a minimum of 5 years continuous service. This policy allows you the flexibility to achieve a balance in your work and personal life by being able to request an extended break to pursue outside interests that would not be possible during a period of annual leave. The duration of a sabbatical is typically from 1 – 6 months and during this period you receive 40% of your salary. 

Emergency Time Off for Dependants

All staff irrespective of length of service are entitled to reasonable time off to make arrangements to deal with unexpected or sudden problems involving a dependant such as husband, wife, child, parent or grandparent. Although there is no limit on the time allowed under this right, it is unlikely that this should exceed one or two days, and what is reasonable will depend on the circumstances of the particular emergency. 

Compassionate Leave

Compassionate leave may be granted at the discretion of the Company in cases of bereavement or urgent domestic crisis. The Company will consider each case on its merits and decide whether the leave, if granted, should be paid or unpaid. Compassionate leave is to be taken at the time of the event, rather than added to annual holiday entitlement to be taken at a later date. 

Time off for ante-natal care

Once the Company has been advised that you are pregnant, you will be entitled to take reasonable paid time off work to attend ante-natal appointments as advised by your doctor, registered midwife or registered health visitor. Ante-natal care may include relaxation and parent craft classes that your doctor, midwife or health visitor has advised you to attend, in addition to medical examinations. 

Maternity Leave

All employees, irrespective of their length of service or hours of work will be entitled to 26 weeks’ ordinary maternity leave and 26 weeks’ additional maternity leave. Additional maternity leave begins on the day after ordinary maternity leave ends.  

Parental Leave

Employees with one year’s continuous service may take up to 18 weeks’ unpaid leave after the birth or adoption of a child in order to take care of the child. In the case of multiple births 18 weeks’ leave may be taken for each child. You must take your parental leave before your child’s 18th birthday. Unless your child is entitled to a disability allowance you must take your leave in blocks of one week. A maximum of four weeks’ leave (for any child) may be taken in any one year.  

Adoption Leave

Employees are entitled to 26 weeks’ ordinary adoption leave and 26 weeks additional adoption leave. This is subject to certain requirements, such as completing at least 26 weeks’ continuous service with the Company ending with the week in which you were notified of having been matched with the child.  

Paternity Leave

Employees are entitled to paternity leave if eligible under certain requirements, such as completing atleast 26 weeks’ continuous service with the Company ending with the week (1) immediately preceding the 15th week before the Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC) or (2) in which the child’s adopter is notified of having been match with the child (as appropriate). Paternity Leave can be taken in a block of either one or two weeks’ in order to care for a child or support the child’s mother on the birth oradoption of a child. This leave can be taken as one weeks’ leave or two consecutive weeks’ leave.  

Shared Parental Leave (SPL)

Employees and their partner may be able to take SPL if you’re having a baby or adopting a child due, or placed for adoption, on or after 5 April 2015. During this shared parental leave you can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between you. SPL can be taken in blocks separated by periods of work, or taken all at once. You can also choose to be on SPL together or to stagger the leave and pay. The first two weeks following birth are the compulsory maternity leave period and are reserved for the mother.  

Flexible Working

We recognise that a better work-life balance can improve employee motivation, performance and productivity, and reduce stress. Therefore we want to support our employees to achieve a better balance between work and other priorities, such as caring responsibilities, leisure activities, further learning and other interests. We are committed to agreeing any flexible working arrangements, provided that our and your needs, objectives and eligibility requirements can be met. We provide a range of appropriate working patterns to accommodate a diverse workforce such as; job sharing, remote working, part-time, flexitime, unpaid leave, staggered hours. As such, you have the right to request a change to the number of hours that you work, the times that you work or your place of work. However, you should also recognise that not all flexible working options will be appropriate for all roles and requests will be considered on this basis.