The next Annual Leave Purchase Scheme (ALPS) window (window 2) will be open for applications from 1 January until 28 February 2026.   

The Annual Leave Purchase Scheme gives staff the option to buy additional annual leave on top of their usual holiday entitlement (subject to their manager’s approval), providing employees with additional flexibility in planning their time off work.

About the ALPS scheme

• The scheme is open for two windows per year, in July-August (window one) and January-February (window two).
• During window two, you can apply for up to five days’ additional leave pro rata.
• Your total ALPS request for both windows can be up to 10 days per annum, pro rata.
• The funds needed to buy the additional leave are recovered in equal instalments directly from your monthly pay. Salary sacrifice payments will begin for this second ALPS window in your April 2026 pay.
• Any additional leave purchased during this period can be used for the remainder of this leave year from 1 April to the end of this leave year, which is 30 September 2026.

Find out more and apply 

Submission forms for the ALPS can be found under the ‘My Forms’ tab on MyView at the start of each Window. Application requests are then sent to your manager for initial approval before being sent to the Reward team for final review.

You are encouraged to speak to your line manager before submitting a request.

Please ensure you read the updated policy documents and view the frequently asked questions on the Reward and Benefits webpages for further guidance on the scheme and how to apply.

Any questions, please contact the Reward Team at reward@sussex.ac.uk