The University is launching an Annual Leave Purchase Scheme (ALPS) to enable employees to have even more flexibility in their preferred work/life balance. 

The ALPS will be part of the benefits package offered by the University, and gives employees the option to buy additional annual leave on top of their usual holiday entitlement, subject to line manager approval.

Director of HR Siobhan O’Reilly said: “Sussex is committed to protecting the health and well-being of its employees and we are really pleased to be able to offer an ALPS to our people as it’s another way we are being a more flexible employer.

“The scheme allows people the chance to have a better work-life balance, or take time off for personal reasons.  Along with the new Remote Working Framework, and our Flexible Working Policy, we are delivering on our ambition to be flexible by default.”

The scheme will operate in two windows and employees will have to apply for the additional leave during these windows.  Staff will be able to apply for up to 10 days’ additional annual leave pro rata, per leave year, with the funds needed to buy the additional leave recovered in equal instalments directly from their monthly pay. 

In the current and the last holiday year, staff have been allowed to carry over 10 days’ additional holiday entitlement, as the University didn’t want staff to be disadvantaged during the Covid-19 pandemic.  This will now revert back to pre-pandemic arrangements from the next holiday year, beginning 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023. This means staff won't be able to carry over more than 5 days at the end of it.

You can read the policy, guidance notes and FAQs about the scheme.

Staff are strongly encouraged to talk to their line manager about accessing the scheme.

For further information please contact the reward@sussex.ac.uk  inbox.

Please also read:

• New ways of working
• Remote Working Framework
• Remote Working FAQs
• Flexible Sussex