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This page provides information on the different types of leave available to UCL staff and students.
Click on the arrows below to expand each section.
- Shared Parental Leave
Shared Parental Leave is a new right that will enable eligible mothers, fathers, partners and adopters the flexibility to choose when to take leave following the birth or adoption of their child. It is possible for the parent/adopter to share some of the leave with their spouse, civil partner or partner; they might decide on a phased return, or even stagger the parental leave days over a longer period of time in order to resume leave at a later date. Partner is defined as someone (whether of a different sex or the same sex) who lives with you in an enduring family relationship (but who is not your child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew).
- Working Parents
Below are a few resources and support networks for working parents:
i. UCL Nursey- The UCL Day Nursery provides high quality childcare and nursery education, giving priority to the development needs and happiness of our children and their families in a safe, nurturing and stimulating care environment.
ii. Parents and Carers Network, UCL - a social network that aims to support UCL staff members who are balancing ongoing caring responsibilities with work. It is a peer support group led by network members for members so new ideas and activities are always welcomed and encouraged.- Paternity/Partners Leave
The partner of the mother or primary adoptive parent may take paid leave of up to 20 working days, pro rata for part time staff. This can be taken from 3 months before the expected week of childbirth or the date of adoption and up to 3 months thereafter. Paternity/Partner's Leave and Pay (PL/P) need not be taken at one time; it can be spread over a 6-month period. There is no qualifying length of service for entitlement to PL/P but an employee cannot take PL once a period of shared PL has commenced. Click here for more information on how to request paternity/partners leave.
- Adoption Leave
The primary adoptive parent is entitled to the same provision in terms of service requirements, pay, amount of leave, return to work, etc. as per the UCL Maternity Leave arrangements. The partner of the primary adoptive parent is entitled to the same provisions as per UCL Paternity/Partner’s leave. Employees who are prospective primary adopters may take paid time off in order to attend up to five adoption meetings. Employees who are adopting a child with someone else who is the primary adopter, are entitled to take unpaid time off in order to attend up to two such meetings. Further information can be found here.
- Flexible Working
The Department of Chemical Engineering fully supports request for flexible working. Please view the Work Life Balance Policy for information about flexible working.
- Sickness Absence
The department records all sickness absence (even part-days) through MyView. If you are unwell and not fit to come to work, you must inform your line manager immediately and provide additional information such as anticipated length of absence and any important or urgent work that needs to be covered. Upon your return to the office, you must meet with your line manager to complete a sickness absence record form, which would then be returned to the Senior HR Administrator for processing.
Sickness Absence Policy- Keeping in Touch (KIT) Days
An employee and their manager can (in cases of Maternity / Adoption Leave) agree up to 10 'Keeping in Touch' (KIT) days and a maximum per employee of 20 ‘Shared Parental Leave in Touch' (SPLIT) days. Either the line manager or the employee can suggest how these days will be used, but each one must be agreed by the line manager. Line managers will only agree to a KIT or SPLIT day when the day follows a clear structure to ensure that it is used productively. Any work undertaken on a KIT or SPLIT day will be treated as a whole KIT or SPLIT day, irrespective of the actual amount of time spent at work and will count as a whole day's entitlement. Employees will receive equivalent paid time off in lieu for time spent working during KIT or SPLIT days. TOIL days should be agreed directly with the line manager to be taken on the employee's return from ML, AL or shared PL. Unused KIT and SPLIT days are not to be added to annual leave entitlement.
- Sabbatical Leave
In addition to the provisions of the UCL Parental Leave and Pay Policy, and to mark its commitment to gender equality in academic careers, research active academic employees returning from ML, AL or shared PL (where any of these individually or combined totals more than 3 months duration) are entitled to take one term of Sabbatical Leave, without teaching commitments, in accordance with the principles set out in the Sabbatical Leave Policy. This leave will enable staff more quickly to re-establish research activity.
- Annual Leave
The annual leave year runs from 1st October until 30th September. Full-time staff are entitled to 27 days of annual leave and can request additional pay-deducted annual leave as required. In addition, there are other public and customarily holidays when UCL will be closed. These entitlements are pro-rata for part-time staff.
Annual Leave Policy- Other Family Friendly Policies
Other leave such as time off for caring responsibilities, medical appointments, bereavement leave etc. are covered under the leave for domestic and personal reasons:
Leave for Domestic and Personal Reasons
