Unused Annual Leave - Carry Over to 2015-2016
Colleagues will be aware that QMUL has been operating an extended leave year from 1 January 2014 - 31 July 2015. Going forward the leave year will revert to a traditional 12 month cycle from 1 August - 31 July. It is unhelpful and expensive for QMUL to carry high liabilities for untaken leave. The only time QMUL can pay for untaken leave is when staff leave QMUL.
It is recommended that all leave should be taken within the year it is earned and that carry over should only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. Carry over of leave is at the discretion of the relevant Head of School or equivalent. Up to 5 days will normally be permissible to be carried over if owing to the needs of the work or lengthy absence from work you were unable to take the full entitlement.
Staff wishing to request carry over of annual leave should start having conversations with their line manager now with a view to obtaining the necessary approval as to whether any unused leave (and how many days) can be carried over. Once the current leave year has ended and the amount of unused leave is clearly defined, staff will then be able to make a request through MyHR. The functionality to carry over leave will be made available from 3 August 2015.
Where the request is above 5 days this will only be sanctioned where there is an appropriate explanation for why the leave has not been used during the leave year and where a clear plan has been agreed to the carried over leave to be used in reasonable timeframe. Colleagues will not be permitted to carry over in excess of 5 days on a regular year to year basis.
