BUYING ADDITIONAL ANNUAL LEAVE
1.0
Introduction
1.1
The University is committed to supporting employees to achieve a healthy balance
between their work and personal lives, in the best interests of the University and
the well-being of individual employees. This guidance outlines the option and
process for buying additional annual leave which builds on existing provision for a
variety of leaves (maternity, adoption, paternity, parental) and career breaks which
are available to employees.
1.2
The payment arrangements for buying additional annual leave are outlined in 4.0
below and the method for calculating the costs involved are outlined in 5.0 below
and Appendix A.
2.0
Eligibility
2.1
This option is available to all employees at the University.
3.0
Requests for additional annual leave
3.1
Requests for additional annual leave will normally be given consideration at the
commencement of each leave year. Heads of Department may, at their discretion,
consider requests for additional annual leave during the year where an employee’s
circumstances change.
3.2
An employee may request to have a maximum of ten days’ additional annual leave
(pro-rata for part-time employees) in any leave year. The leave year runs from 1st
October to 30th September.
3.3
All requests for buying additional annual leave will be given full consideration
within the Department. The presumption is to allow the employee as much
flexibility as possible while taking account of the needs of the Department. The
application may be granted in full, in part, or declined. Where it is not possible to
accommodate the request a written response detailing the reasons must be
provided. There will, however, be no right of appeal against the refusal of an
application.
3.4
Once an application has been accepted it will be a binding agreement between the
University and the employee. It is not possible to rescind leave already purchased
during the leave year.
3.5
Once agreed within the Department applications for additional annual leave should
be forwarded to Payroll for processing.
4.0
Paying for additional annual leave
4.1
The additional day(s) annual leave will be paid for through one of the following
methods:


a deduction from salary as one lump sum in advance of taking the
additional leave
a deduction from salary over an agreed period of consecutive months
but still in advance of taking the additional leave
The value of a day’s leave is defined in the calculation section 5.0 below.
4.2
Basic salaries will remain unchanged.
5.0
Calculating the cost of a day’s leave
5.1
For most full time staff the calculation of a day’s annual leave will be on the basis
of:
Annual salary ÷ 260 annual working days = cost of a day’s annual leave
5.2
Where staff work part time or work a variable number of hours on each working
day, or work term-time only they should consult the Payroll Department for the
correct calculation of an hour’s or a day’s pay.
6.0
General considerations
6.1
The additional annual leave bought will be added to the employee’s annual leave
entitlement for the year, and may be taken during the annual leave year subject to
the usual approval arrangements.
6.2
The usual arrangements on the carrying over of outstanding annual leave and
sickness during annual leave will apply to any additional annual leave purchased.
APPLICATION TO BUY ADDITIONAL ANNUAL LEAVE
Name
Department
Telephone Number
Employee Number
Please tick
one option
Working pattern
A
B
C
D
Full time
Part time – same number of hours
worked each day over 5 days
Part-time – same number of hours
worked each day over less than 5
days – please specify number of
days worked
Part-time different hours worked
each day – please specify number
of hours worked in a week
Please specify
number of days
worked a week
Please specify
number of hours
worked a week
If you have ticked option A, B or C above please complete the following:
For the leave year _______ I should like to buy _______ day(s) additional
annual leave.
If you have ticked option D above please complete the following:
For the leave year _______ I should like to buy _______ hours’ additional
annual leave.
I agree to pay for this additional leave as follows:
Please tick
one option
only
By one lump sum deduction for the
entire sum owing – to be made in
the first month of the annual leave
year (October), or the first
available pay run if applying within
a leave year
By making a deduction from my
annual salary over the following
consecutive months (in advance of
taking the additional annual leave)
Please
specify the
consecutive
months
Signature of Employee________________________________ Date
For the Department to complete:
I agree to the request for buying additional annual leave as set
out above
I do not agree to the request for buying additional annual leave as set
out above. I have discussed this with the employee and explained why I
have declined the request in writing.
Please
tick
one
option
only
Signature of Authorising Manager_________________________ Date
Name of Authorising Manager
IF ADDITIONAL ANNUAL IS AGREED, PLEASE FORWARD THE COMPLETED FORM
TO PAYROLL. OTHERWISE PLEASE FILE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
FOR PAYROLL USE ONLY
Annual Salary
Number of days worked per annum
Cost of one day
Number of days
Total cost
Number of instalments