Part-time work is where a member of staff works less than the normal full-time number of hours per week for the staff group. This can be either on a reduced number of day’s basis or a reduced number of hours per day. 

Job-sharing is a form of part-time working where two members of staff share the range of duties of one full-time post. The salary and benefits are divided between the job sharers according to the time each job share partner works. Each job sharer holds a part time post. Similar to part-time working, job-sharing work patterns can be either on a reduced number of days basis (e.g. 4 full days per week) or a reduced number of hours per day (e.g. mornings only). Holiday entitlement for part time and job share staff is calculated on a pro-rata basis. If your working days are all of the same length. Guidance on calculating a pro-rata amount of holiday entitlement based on days worked.

The Job Share Register has been created for potential job share applicants in order to enable the University to put prospective partners in touch with each other. Staff members interested in job share arrangements should add their details to this Register by completing the Job Share Register Form.

Paid holiday leave will be accrued during periods of paid and unpaid sickness absence provided the normal reporting guidelines in accordance with the Sickness Absence procedure are followed. In normal circumstances, a member of staff cannot commence a period of annual leave immediately following a period of sickness absence.

Any variation from this must be referred to and agreed by the line manager and this must be supported by a letter or medical certificate from a GP certifying that he/she is fit to return to work prior to the commencement of annual leave. If a member of staff is sick during a period of annual leave, they will be regarded as being on sick leave from the date specified on a medical certificate, signed by a GP. He/she may take the balance of their leave at a later date, on return to work.

If a member of staff is on long-term sick leave, any unused annual leave entitlement plus public holidays and the equivalent of any closure days may be carried into the following leave year with the expectation that such leave will be taken in that year, normally before the end of March. For further information, please refer to the Sickness Absence Procedure or Accrual & Carry Over of Holidays and Other Leave Procedures.

A member of staff accrues contractual annual leave entitlement while on Ordinary and Additional Maternity Leave (OML and AML). She is expected, where possible, to take her full annual leave entitlement in a particular leave year. However, should this not be possible due to maternity leave arrangements or exceptional circumstances, she will be able to carry over up to the full complement of leave (43 days) to the next leave year, the scheduling of which must be taken by agreement with the Head of School/Department/Unit.      Annual leave may be taken at the end of OML, (where AML is not taken) or at the end of AML, by agreement with the Head of School/ Department/ Unit, details of which should be confirmed in writing on the Maternity Leave Notification Form. For further information, please refer to the Maternity Leave Procedure.

Each Head of School Department or Unit will establish procedures for recording annual leave and agreeing the period of notice required by a line manager to authorise annual leave. However, the needs of the service will be paramount and the agreement of any annual leave is at all times at the discretion of the line manager.

Public Holidays and Closure Days

There are 9 University recognised/public holidays which normally are: (where these fall within a period of employment) New Year’s Day; St Patrick’s Day; Good Friday; Easter Monday; 1st Monday in May; 12 and 13 July; Christmas Day; Boxing Day; and 9 closure days (based on 4 days at Easter and 5 days at Christmas arrangements) Some departments, e.g. Library, PEC will continue to provide cover over the Christmas and Easter closures. Where staff are required to work on a closure day, they will be paid at single time and that holiday will be taken at another time as agreed with the management.

Part-Time Working and Job-share

Part-time staff will be on paid leave during those fixed leave periods (bank or public holiday and Easter/ Christmas breaks) that fall on days that they normally work. For example, if a member of staff does not normally work on a Monday then any bank or public holidays falling on a Monday are not given as time-off-in-lieu; if a member of staff works term-time only, then the 5 additional days at Easter and Christmas breaks are not given as time-off-in-lieu.

The majority of bank and public holidays do not fall on the same day each year and therefore, over a repeat cycle, part-time members of staff are not normally disadvantaged by this practice. However, if a situation arises, due to the pattern of working arrangements, that a part-time member of staff receives less bank and public holidays in a year than they would receive if calculated on a pro-rata basis then they will be entitled to take the difference in the amount in lieu. If a part-time employee's working pattern is extremely unusual or variable, then such exceptional cases should be referred to People and Culture Directorate.

During Sickness Absence

If a member of staff is on long-term sick leave any unused annual leave entitlement plus public holidays and the equivalent of any closure days may be carried into the following leave year with the expectation that such leave will be taken in that year, normally before the end of March.

During Maternity Leave

A member of staff accrues contractual annual leave entitlement while on Ordinary and Additional Maternity Leave. (OML and AML).  She is expected, where possible, to take her full annual leave entitlement in a particular leave year.

However, should this not be possible due to maternity leave arrangements or exceptional circumstances, she will be able to carry over up to the full complement of leave (43 days) to the next leave year, the scheduling of which must be taken by agreement with the Head of School/Department/Unit.

Ideally all annual leave should be taken during each leave year.  However, in exceptional circumstances, up to 5 days annual leave may be carried over to the following leave year, with line management approval, provided there is mutual agreement that such leave will be taken in the following leave year, normally before the end of March.  Please refer to our policy on Accrual and Carryover of Annual Leave.