Changes to HR policies on leave
HR policies on Special Leave and Partner Leave have been updated.
Special Leave Policy
The University’s Special Leave Policy has been reviewed to incorporate a new legal entitlement to five days (pro rata) unpaid carer’s leave per rolling year.
The updated policy is effective from 1 April 2024.
Carer’s leave can be used to provide care for a dependant who relies on an employee for care. The dependant doesn’t need to be a member of the employee’s immediate family, for example, it could be an elderly neighbour. The individual cared for must have a long-term health need, and this can include issues relating to old age.
Employees can request carer's leave under the 'unpaid leave' absence type in People and Money from 1 April 2024. The leave can be taken in consecutive, or non-consecutive, half-days or full days.
Partner Leave Policy
New legislation (The Paternity Leave Amendment Regulations 2024) will now provide partners the opportunity to take up to two weeks of paid leave within the first year of the birth or adoption of their child. Partners can choose to take leave as one two-week period or as two separate weeks.
The notice period required for each period of leave has been shortened to 28 days or four weeks.
The University of Edinburgh’s previous policy allowed for leave to be split into two blocks of one week. However, leave can now be taken at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption, and the notice period has been shortened to four weeks (28 days) from the previous 15 weeks.
These policy changes apply to parents of children born or adopted on or after 6 April 2024.