LondonSouthBankUniversity

DISCRETIONARY & SPECIAL LEAVE PROVISIONS

GUIDANCE NOTES

Discretionary Leave

All applications for discretionary leave should be authorised by the Dean/Head or Director of Department. Discretionary leave is granted subject to the exigencies of the service. These guidelines cover the main areas where discretionary leave may be applied, but are not exhaustive.

  1. Compassionate leave may be granted, where applicable, as follows:

up to a week’s paid leave in any twelve month period for the serious illness or the death of a dependant/immediate family member

a further day with pay may be granted for the funeral.

In addition, a reasonable amount of emergency leave is available for employees for crisis incidents affecting dependants. This leave is unpaid. Please seeEmergency Leave for Dependantsor contact yourHR Business Partner Team (seeHR Contacts)for further details.

  1. For the employee’s own wedding or civil partnership ceremony one day with pay may be allowed.
  2. For moving house (i.e. including removal of household furniture) 1 day with pay may be allowed.
  3. A reasonable amount of emergency leave may be granted for crisis incidents affecting employees, e.g. fire, flood, etc. Up to three days leave with pay, or six days without pay, may be granted in consultation with the Dean/ Head or Director of Department.
  4. For voluntary service leave to participate in voluntary activities, i.e. summer camps, special holidays, etc., up to five days’ period of paid leave in any year may be allowed.
  5. PublicService

Leave with pay may be granted for a maximum of 15 full days a year for public service, such as Territorial Army service, and 20 full days a year for services as a JP, local authority leader of Council, local authority committee chair or member of national executive or trade union. Any grant of public service leave in excess of fifteen or twenty days a year, as appropriate, shall be conditional on the time lost being made up or, if that cannot be done, on such additional leave being without pay.

Pay in relation to public duty shall be the normal pay of the employee minus any payment of attendance allowance or loss of earnings allowance receivable. Employees undertaking public service should contact their HR Business Partner Teamto arrange the financial details.

7.Candidates, Poll Clerk and Presiding Officer at Elections

Leavemay be available in particular circumstances.

8.SchoolGovernors

Leave may be granted to attend particular meetings.

Special Leave

1.Examination leave – for details see the Sponsored Study Policylink, or access via theOrganisational & Staff Development Team web site (

  1. To attend as a witness in court or an inquest, the period of attendance will be allowed with pay.

3.For Jury Service the period of attendance will be allowed with pay, minus the Attendance Allowance paid by the Courts. On receipt of a call to Jury Service individuals should inform theirDean/Head or Director of Department andcontact their HR Business Partner Team to arrange the financial details.

Human Resources Department

June 1999

Updated 12/05; 08/12; 05/14

(webloaded/04JUN14 /TP)

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