Holidays and leave
Your annual leave entitlement increases dependent on length of service (pro-rated for part-time employees).
- Local Government employees: 27 days plus 6 public holidays.
- Teachers: Full time staff working a standard 35-hour week in a school get 30 days plus 10 public holidays.
- Quality Improvement Officers and Educational Psychologists: 29 days plus 6 public holidays.
- Staff in schools, educational establishments: 23 days plus 10 public holidays.
Other types of leave
To help you live a fuller life outside of work we also have special leave, unpaid leave, enhanced statutory entitlements such as maternity and adoption, and employment breaks (after two years' service).
Special leave is either paid or unpaid given in addition to your annual leave to respond to emergency situations and to help you balance your commitments outside of work.
We’re committed to supporting the wellbeing of our colleagues, this includes developing a working environment that encourages a healthy work-life balance. We have the following enhancements.
- Active foster/kinship carers: We offer one day's paid leave and up to four days' unpaid leave each year to support you with being a carer.
- Carers leave: If you're a carer, you're entitled to six days paid leave and up to a week’s unpaid leave to provide or arrange care for your dependants.
- Compassionate leave: In the event of a bereavement, your line manager can grant up to five working days’ paid leave.
- Fertility treatment: We'll support you with paid leave to attend appointments through one course of fertility treatment.
- Leave for dependants: Along with reasonable unpaid time off we offer six days' paid leave to deal with unplanned or emergency situations involving your dependants.
- Leave to take part in sporting events: We offer reasonable paid leave where you've been selected to represent your nation or country in a competitive sporting event.
- Parental bereavement leave: You're entitled to up to two weeks' paid leave to support you following the loss of a child. This leave is also available to those who experience pregnancy or baby loss.
- Planned healthcare for children under five: In the first five years of your child's life, you can take up to five days' paid leave and five days' unpaid leave to cover doctors appoints for developmental checks up and inoculations.
- Prospective foster/kinship carers: We offer up to five days' paid leave to cover the preparation and assessment process involved in registering as carers.
- Volunteering leave: We offer one day's paid leave to volunteering activities where it aligns with the Council Business Plan and contributes to one of the three priorities.