Annual Leave and Time Off
This section contains information on taking time off work, including Family Leave, Support for Carers, and other time off.
Annual Leave and Public Holidays
All employees are entitled to time off for annual leave and public holidays. To find out more about entitlements and guidelines for requesting time off, please see the guidance below.
Annual leave and public holidays scheme guidance
Please use the below calculator if you need to work out your employee's annual leave allowance.
Annual leave calculator guidance
Accrual of annual leave when working additional hours
Additional hours leave accrual - Guidance
Additional Annual Leave Purchase Scheme
The purpose of the annual leave purchase scheme is to provide employees with additional flexibility in respect of planned time off work. This scheme provides the opportunity to "buy" up to 2 working weeks (pro-rata if appropriate) additional annual leave in each leave year, with deductions in pay spread over 12 months.
Should employees wish to calculate the cost of purchasing additional annual leave for themselves, they can use the link below as a guide.
Family Leave
The Family Leave scheme outlines the provisions available to new and expectant/adoptive parents and to explain the processes to be followed by both employees and line managers in relation to these.
Shared Parental Leave
The Shared Parental Leave procedure allows eligible parents to choose how to share the care of their child during the first year of birth or adoption. Its purpose is to give parents more flexibility in considering how to best care for, and bond with, their child. All eligible employees have a statutory right to take Shared Parental Leave. There may also be an entitlement to some Shared Parental Pay. This procedure sets out the statutory rights and responsibilities of employees who wish to take statutory Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP).
Carers
Many employees have caring responsibilities outside of their working environment. The links below will take both carers and managers to sources of information about the issues facing carers and the help available to them:
Carers in the Workplace Guidance
Further support is available:
Carers Support Cumbria carers organisations across Cumbria that support unpaid Carers. Call Us On 08443 843230
'Carers at Work' a useful guide for managers
Information for and about carers on the Adult Social Care website
Cumbria Children and Families Information Service
Resources
Other Time Off
Time off work
The Time Off Work booklet provides information and guidance on the options available for employees to request time off work.
For example, the booklet covers time off that may be needed in relation to foster caring, urgent domestic leave (compassionate), antenatal and fertility care, jury service, election and public duties, interviews, medical appointment and Trade Union responsibilities.
Study/Training
Employees who have a minimum of 26 weeks' continuous service have the right to request time off for study or training and to have their request considered by their employer.
It is our policy to consider requests for time off for study or training from all employees, ie not only those who are eligible under the legislation above to submit such requests.
Right to request time off work for study or training procedure
Adverse Weather
In cases of extreme weather conditions or other exceptional circumstances outside anyone's control, employees may have difficulties in getting to their normal place of work.
In such circumstances the key principle is that employees and line managers should agree what arrangements are reasonable in the circumstances. Employees should make every effort to attend for work (including at an alternative workplace) and they should ensure that their line manager is kept fully informed of the situation, however it may be necessary for them to take time off. Working from home could be an option as well.
Special Events
We recognise that employees may wish to take time off from work at or around the time of major national or sporting events and that this may be very important to some individuals.
Reservists
The new HR procedure sets out the Fire Services obligations towards employees who are members of the Reserve Forces including leave, mobilisation and return to work arrangements.
Flexi Time Scheme
The flexi-time scheme encourages a greater work life balance, helping employees to achieve and maintain an effective balance between work and home life.
Flexibility is allowed within specified guidelines throughout the working day to allow you to determine your arrival and departure time and to accommodate the other commitments where required. Flexi-time Scheme.