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 Agreement has been reached with SBC over paternity leave - something we have been pressing for over a considerable period of time now. The entitlement is for 5 days paid leave. This is in addition to the unpaid leave entitlement that is in force as a result of EU legislation.
The current leave arrangements are shown below - contact Jock for further clarification if necessary. Note that this document covers all SBC employees, not just teachers.
POLICY GUIDELINES - SPECIAL LEAVE AUTHORISATION
1 The granting of special leave is initially a matter for consideration and decision by Heads of Department within the guidelines outlined below. Directors may delegate authority to approve leave where appropriate.
2 Employees who wish to apply for special leave (paid or unpaid) should apply to their supervisor/line manager.
3 In determining the leave to be authorised Heads of Department should take account of individual circumstances (e.g. nature/closeness of personal relationships, travel required to attend a funeral) and ensure that a consistent approach is followed. Personnel staff will be happy to advise on individual cases.
4 Paid Special Leave will not normally be appropriate where an employee receives compensation from another source for the period of absence. Where it is considered that special leave is not appropriate managers should try to accommodate any request to take annual leave. Personnel staff will be pleased to assist with any enquiries.
5 Special leave (paid or unpaid) should be recorded on an employee's Annual Leave record.
1. SPECIAL LEAVE - With Pay
| CIRCUMSTANCE |
THOSE COVERED |
LEAVE AVAILABLE
(Working days) |
AUTHORISED
BY |
| Family bereavement |
mother, father,
brother, sister, spouse/partner, children, guardian, in-laws, dependent relatives
|
up to 5 days |
Head of Department |
| Attendance
at funeral |
other family
members |
up to 1 day |
Head of Department |
| Serious illness
(including attendance at hospital emergencies) |
mother, father,
brother, sister, spouse/partner, children, guardian, in-laws [mother, father,
brother, sister], dependent relatives |
up to 5 days |
Head of Department |
| Hospital appointment/
medical examination/ dental appointment |
all employees |
as necessary
1. employees are expected to try to arrange appointments outwith working hours
or, where this is not possible, to arrange them to cause least disruption to work
eg first thing in the morning or late afternoon
2. employees on flexi-time are required to arrange appointments outwith core
time
|
Head of Department |
Maternity
Support Leave
(not available for teaching staff) |
child's father,
partner or nominated carer |
5 days |
Head of Department |
| Maternity
Leave for Adoption |
women who
adopt a child up to the age of 16 (except where the child is already part of the
family unit) |
refer to Personnel
Services for details |
Head of Department |
| House removal |
employees
who qualify for SBC relocation assistance |
up to 2 days |
Head of Department |
| Jury Service/Witness |
employees
required to attend court as jury member or witness |
as required
by court (employees must claim appropriate allowances which will be deducted from
pay) |
|
| Non Regular
Forces |
employees
required to attend annual training camp |
for not less
than a week and not exceeding a period of 15 calendar days (Service pay and allowances
will be deducted from Council pay) |
Head of Department |
| Secondment
to other organisation |
all employees |
up to 10 days
11 to 20 days
21 days + |
Head of Department
HOD/HO Personnel
HOD/Chief Executive |
| Examinations
- study leave and attendance |
employees
on approved training courses |
up to 1 day
per exam |
Head of Department |
| Other circumstances
eg serious personal crisis; representing country at sport etc |
all employees |
up to 10 days
11 to 20 days
21 days + |
Head of Department
HOD/HO Personnel
HOD/Chief Executive |
| Paternity
Leave (Teaching Staff) |
Child's father |
Up to 5 days
immediately after the birth of the child or where appropriate when the child comes
home from hospital. In the event that the child is born (or comes home from hospital)
during school holidays no Paternity Leave will be appropriate. |
Headteacher |
2. SPECIAL LEAVE - Unpaid
Unpaid Special leave may
be authorised for circumstances where Paid Special Leave/Annual Leave is not appropriate
or available and where the Department is able to accommodate the absence. An example
may be where an employee wishes to add 2 weeks unpaid leave to 3 weeks annual
leave for an extended holiday to Australia. Similarly Unpaid Special Leave may
be considered for an employee who wishes to attend a course of study which has
no direct relevance to their employment.
Where an employee is representing
their country and receiving payment for doing so, then any leave given would normally
be unpaid.
| CIRCUMSTANCE |
EMPLOYEES COVERED |
LEAVE AVAILABLE |
AUTHORISED BY |
| All cases |
all employees |
up to 10 days
11 to 20 days
21 days + |
Head of Department
HOD/HO Personnel
HOD/Chief Executive |
3. PARENTAL LEAVE - Unpaid
The Employment Relations
Act 1999 has introduced a new right to parental leave. This is in addition to
any contractual annuai leave, maternity or special leave entitlements including
maternity support leave or maternity leave for adoption.
Parental leave is a new
right to take time off work to look after a child or make arrangements for a child's
welfare. It is open to employees who have a baby or adopt a child after 15
December 1999 and who have completed one year's continuous qualifying service
with Scottish Borders Council. The leave is open to both mothers and fathers.
The leave is unpaid.
Employees are entitled
to 13 weeks in total for each child which can be taken up until the child is 5
or, in adoption cases, for five years after the child is first placed with the
family. In the case of a child with a disability, the leave can be taken up until
the child's 18th birthday.
The following provisions
apply to the parental leave scheme:
- The leave must be taken
in blocks or multiples of one week except in the case of parents of a disabled
child, in which case the leave can be taken in blocks or multiples of one day.
- In all cases, a maximum
of 4 weeks' parental leave in a year can be taken in respect of an individual
child.
- The employee must give
21 days notice that they want to take the leave
- The leave can be postponed
for up to 6 months where the business would be particularly disrupted if the leave
were taken at the time requested. The employer must confirm the postponement in
writing no later than 7 days after the employee gives notice to take the leave.
This should state the reason for the postponement and set out the new dates of
parental leave.
- When an employee applies
to take parental leave immediately after the birth or adoption of a child then
the employer cannot postpone the leave. The employee needs to give 21 days notice
before the beginning of the expected week of childbirth. Similarly, in the case
of adoption, the employee needs to give 21 days notice before the expected week
of placement or as soon as is reasonably practicable.
For further information
contact Lorna Gass ext 5237, Pam Culbertson ext 5236 or Ann Brown ext 5693, Personnel
Assistants.
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