As communicated in the Principal’s message to all staff on 15 October, the University will be closed from Monday, 21 December, through to reopening on Tuesday, 5 January. This provides for four additional closure days as a small gesture of thanks to colleagues for going above and beyond in what has been a challenging year for all.

The additional closure days will be treated like normal closure days, and colleagues not scheduled to work on these dates will receive a pro-rated amount of time to take at another point. Where colleagues had already booked leave for these days their leave balances will be credited to account (ie the booked days are released back).

Essential workers and other colleagues who are required to work during this period of closure will receive the time back to use at a suitable later date, and line managers should be approached in the first instance to organise this.

Due to the unusual circumstances precipitating these additional closure days, and as a gesture of thanks, hourly-paid staff will receive an additional pro-rated payment (based on their contractual hours but no less than £10). This payment will only be made to staff who are still employed with the University on these dates and will be included in their December pay.

Please note that the extended closure necessitates some changes to key deadlines in relation to payroll and recruitment, and these are detailed in the Christmas payroll and recruitment deadlines document.

If you have any queries regarding the above, please contact your local HR Team in the first instance.

First published: 5 November 2020

<< 6 November 2020


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