Special Leave Policy NORTHERN IRELAND PRACTICE AND EDUCATION COUNCIL FOR NURSING AND MIDWIFERY - May 2012 Review date: May 2014
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NIPEC/12/07
NORTHERN IRELAND PRACTICE AND EDUCATION
COUNCIL FOR NURSING AND MIDWIFERY
Special Leave Policy
May 2012
Review date: May 2014
Centre House
79 Chichester Street
BELFAST
BT1 4JE
Tel: (028) 9023 8152
www.nipec.hscni.net1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Departmental Circulars and legislation requirements, such as Industrial Relations (No. 2)
(Northern Ireland) Order 1976, govern the granting of special leave for various purposes.
The Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery (NIPEC)
will make available special leave arrangements, with pay, to staff required to be absent
from duty for various purposes including essential civic and public duties.
1.2 Reasonable leave with pay shall be made available in the following circumstances upon
receipt of advice from Human Resources, Business Services Organisation (BSO):
• absence from duty following confirmed contact with a notifiable disease
• training with the reserve and cadet forces, RIR and PSNI reserve; other voluntary
organisation, RNLI Mountain Rescue Service
• attendance at meetings of Health and Social Services Councils - up to 3 days’ paid
leave
• magisterial duties - up to 10 days special leave on the understanding that any fees or
payments will be paid to NIPEC. No travel expenses subsistence allowance will be
paid by NIPEC
• employees seeking election to local Council/NI Assembly/Parliament - an employee
who is officially standing as a candidate at a local Council/NI Assembly/Parliamentary
election will be granted up to four weeks special leave without pay to facilitate their
candidature
• engagement in trade union activities
• membership of Board of Governors or Government funded organisations - up to 10
days paid leave in any year subject to the exigencies of the service and to an
understanding that the employee will pass any fees or payments (minus tax) received
for the attendance to NIPEC - further leave may be granted subject to the needs of the
service by the Chief Executive/Director.
1.3 Further examples of special leave with pay include:
• Marriage Leave – 3 days’ special leave with pay
• Jury Service – officers who are called for jury service will be granted leave with pay on
the basis that the officer is required to pass any court fees, apart from travelling
expenses, to NIPEC
• Court witness – an officer who attends court as a witness with the consent of NIPEC or
on foot of a subpoena or witness summons or other legal obligation, will be granted
leave with pay on the basis that the officer is required to pass any court fees, apart from
travelling expenses, to NIPEC. It should be noted that an officer will not be entitled to
time off for attendance at court if such appearance is personally instigated.
1.4 A separate policy is in place regarding Adoption Leave and further guidance can be sought
from the BSO Human Resources Directorate.
In all instances, applications for special paid leave should be made using the appropriate
form (see Appendix 1) to the line manager in advance of the leave requested.
2. COMPASSIONATE LEAVE
2.1 Compassionate Leave is available to those staff who have, for example, a spouse, partner,child, parent/guardian, or someone for whom they have direct live-in caring responsibilities
who is suffering from an illness or condition which has been diagnosed as either critical, in
the short term, or terminal.
2.2 Senior managers should look at each individual case and take account of all prevailing
circumstances, eg. prognosis of illness, other family support, emotional condition of
member of staff, changes which could be made to current working arrangements etc, and
make a judgement as to what will best meet the needs of both the organisation and
member of staff.
2.3 Each situation will be very different, and both manager and member of staff should try to
reach agreement. This should ensure that the needs of the individual are treated
sympathetically and that the business/operational requirements of the directorate/section
are not compromised/ disadvantaged.
2.4 As this type of leave is designed to enable staff to cope with unplanned and unforeseen
demands on an individual, entitlement will range from one half day to up to 18 days per
year. However, no one period should exceed six days and is available up to three times
per year. Staff members wishing to be granted compassionate leave should ensure that
their line manager is advised promptly of any domestic difficulties they are experiencing.
The period of leave should be agreed with the line manager at the time of the first request
for leave.
3. BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
3.1 Bereavement leave is available to those staff who are bereaved through the death of a
relative or partner. Whilst it is difficult to assess how the death of someone close to us will
affect each of us, this policy is to help ensure that staff are treated with sympathy and
consistency at difficult times. The table below sets out a list of the maximum number of
days available to staff.
Nature of relationship Maximum
number of
days
Spouse 6
Partner 6
Child 6
Parent/guardian 6
Direct live-in caring responsibilities 3
Sibling 3
Grandparent/grandchild 1
Uncle/aunt 1
Cousin 1
Nephew/niece 1
Father/mother/brother/sister/son/daughter of 1
spouse/partner
3.2 An employee who intends to make use of Bereavement Leave should ensure that their line
manager is advised of the situation as soon as is practicable.4. LEAVE FOR ATTENDANCE AT FUNERALS
4.1 In the event of the death of a close friend or a particular relationship not covered under
bereavement leave, staff may be given time off work to attend funerals, subject to the
needs of the service. This time should not exceed 2.5 hours away from the office for local
funerals.
Where funerals require a substantial part of that time being taken up with travelling, staff
should discuss this with their manager and agree a reasonable time allocation. Staff may
be given no more than 4 hours off for non-local funeral attendance and should take further
time off through flexi-time or annual leave arrangements.
4.2 In the event of the death of a colleague or member of a colleague’s immediate family,
managers will ensure that there is sufficient departmental representation at the funeral and
time available as per the entitlement outlined above. Colleagues may insert
commiserations on a personal basis into local newspapers, however, not normally on
behalf of NIPEC.
5. CARER’S LEAVE
5.1 Carer’s leave is short-term leave, with pay, to facilitate staff who have caring
responsibilities to manage emergency, unplanned, short-term problems. The needs
covered include:
• Illness of a child, close relative or partner (immediate family or dependants)
• Breakdown of normal care arrangements where no or very short notice has been
given.
5.2 Carers’ leave is not appropriate when people have been given notice that their current,
normal caring arrangements are going to be interrupted. Carers’ leave is not suitable for
those carers who wish to accompany children or adults to hospital appointments which
have been planned or to be with them after planned (elective) operations. Annual leave
should be used for these events.
5.3 Staff are entitled to up to a maximum of 12 days carer’s leave per annum. However, no
period of carer’s leave should exceed three days.
5.4 Staff wishing to take carer’s leave should ensure that their line manager is advised
promptly of any difficulties they are experiencing in their care arrangements and that they
wish to make an application to take time off under this particular policy. The period of
leave must be agreed at the initial stages with the line manager and at the time of the first
notification of the difficulty.
5.5 Carer’s leave will not be available retrospectively in any circumstances.
6. PARENTAL LEAVE
6.1 Parental leave is provided to enable employees to take time off work to look after a child or
make arrangements for a child’s welfare. Staff must have 1 year’s continuous service to
apply for this leave.
6.2 Parental leave is unpaid leave for a maximum period of up to 13 weeks up until a child’s14th birthday. If the child is disabled, 18 weeks unpaid leave can be taken up until the
child’s 18th birthday. A maximum of 4 weeks leave can be taken in any 52-week period.
6.3 Further guidance on this type of leave can be sought from the BSO Human Resources
Directorate.
7. PATERNITY LEAVE
7.1 Paternity Leave (also called Maternity Support) allows employees 2 weeks’ paid leave, and
applies to biological and adoptive fathers, nominated carers and same sex partners.
7.2 To qualify, employees must have over 1 year’s continuous service at the beginning of the
week in which the baby is due.
7.3 Employees should complete form SC3 ‘Becoming a Parent’ at least 28 days before they
want the parental leave to start. Leave should be taken in a continuous block but may be
split over a specific period with the agreement of the line manager in advance of the leave
commencing.
7.4 Reasonable time off to attend ante-natal classes will also be given.
7.5 Employees who are not eligible for Paternity Leave under the above terms may still be
entitled to Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) subject to the qualifying conditions. The rate of
SPP is the same as Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).
8. EXCEPTIONAL LEAVE
8.1 Exceptional leave for any other circumstances not covered in any of the above types of
leave may be granted (with or without pay) at the discretion of the line manager who will
liaise with NIPEC’s Chief Executive and the BSO Human Resources Directorate.
9. UNPAID LEAVE
9.1 It should be noted that if an officer avails of unpaid leave, this will result in their annual
leave entitlement being reduced.
10. ATTENDANCE AT JOB INTERVIEW
10.1 Staff applying for jobs within the Health and Social Care (NI) will be granted time off with
pay to attend for interview subject to the exigencies of the service.
11. EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS SCREENING
11.1 This policy has been screened for equality implications as required by Section 75 and
Schedule 9 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Equality Commission guidance states that
the purpose of screening is to identify those policies which are likely to have a significant
impact on equality of opportunity so that greatest resources can be devoted to these.
11.2 Using the Equality Commission's screening criteria, no significant equality implications
have been identified. The policy will therefore not be subject to an equality impact
assessment.11.3 Similarly, this policy has been considered under the terms of the Human Rights Act 1998,
and was deemed compatible with the European Convention Rights contained in the Act.
Signed: ______________________________ Date: ______________________
Chief ExecutiveAPPENDIX 1
APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL LEAVE
Name: _________________________________________________________________
Job Title: __________________________________ Band: ________________
TYPE OF LEAVE DATES NUMBER OF
TO FROM DAYS
Bereavement
Carer
Compassionate
Parental
Paternity
Unpaid
Other (please specify)
Reason for Leave:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Signature: _________________________________ Date: ______________________
Applicant
Approved by: ____________________________ Designation: __________________
Line Manager
Date: ________________________
Line Manager Comments:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
COMPLETED FORMS MUST BE FORWARDED TO BSO HUMAN RESOURCES
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