Staff have a statutory entitlement to be absent from work for up to one week on unpaid leave during any period of 12 months to provide or arrange for the provision of care for a dependent with a long-term care need. The University may also, in exceptional circumstances and in agreement with the line manager, allow up to one further week’s leave in any one year.

A dependant is defined as the spouse, civil partner, child, or parent of the member of staff. It also includes someone who lives in the same household, for example, a partner or elderly relative or anyone who depends on a member of staff for arrangements for the provision of care or assistance. A dependant of an employee has a long-term care need if:

1. they have an illness or injury (whether physical or mental) that requires, or is likely to require, care for more than three months.
2. they have a disability for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 or.
3. they require care for a reason connected with their old age.

Staff will not be asked to supply evidence in relation to any request for carer’s leave.

Staff must notify their manager as early as possible of their need to take carer’s leave, and how long they estimate it will last. The notice given must be whichever is the greater of:

1. twice as many days in advance of the first day of leave specified in the notice as the number of days or part days to be taken. or
2. three days in advance of the earliest day or part day specified in the notice.

The length of a period of carer’s leave can be between half a working day and one continuous week. Carer’s leave does not need to be taken on consecutive days.

There are some circumstances where Carer’s leave requested may be postponed by a manager, but this should only be in exceptional circumstances where granting the leave at the time suggested would be unduly disruptive to the service being provided. The manager must grant the same amount of leave as originally requested, beginning on a date agreed with the staff member. The start of this postponed period of leave must be within one month of the first day of the period originally requested.