Following a collaborative consultation process with staff, staff networks and the campus trade unions, we are pleased to announce that the University’s Executive Board has approved the recommended improvements to the University's compassionate leave provision for staff on Grade 6 and below, and those in technical roles.  

The changes are as follows: 

• Increasing  compassionate leave provision from 3-5 days to up to 10 days. 

• Clarifying that (as now) this provision applies to each individual incident that someone experiences (i.e. it is not an annual amount). 

• Explicitly including pregnancy loss and the death of a close friend as examples of situations when compassionate leave should be granted. 

These changes are being introduced to improve compassionate leave for this group of staff, and to ensure that our provision is inclusive and responsive to the needs and real-life experiences of University staff. They will be introduced from 1 September 2025 and the Guidance on Leave and Absence from Work has been updated in line with the changes. 

Requests for Compassionate Leave should be discussed with your line manager and requested and approved via MyView in the usual way. 

Alongside changes to Compassionate Leave, we also consulted with staff on the introduction of a Disability Leave Procedure. This will be introduced from 1 October 2025. Further details will be published shortly. 

Colin Shipp
Executive Director of HR