Work Life Balance | Sport Wales

15. Annual Leave

Last review: July 2024

Next review: July 2027

Sport Wales is committed to supporting employees to achieve a work life balance and encourages its staff to take regular scheduled breaks from work throughout the year to support this and their general wellbeing.

In addition to the information provided in your Contract of Employment, the following applies.

15.1 Applying for Leave

Your line manager must approve all annual leave in advance. You may only commit to your leave plans, including booking holidays, once your line manager authorises your request for leave. If your request has been accepted, you must ensure that you update any calendars used to communicate your availability, for most people this will be Microsoft Outlook calendar.

If your application for leave is refused, your line manager will notify you as soon as possible. Where there are conflicting annual leave requirements, priority will be given to the member of staff whose request was received first, subject to business needs.

15.2 Carry Over Leave

Up to eight days' annual leave may be carried forward into the next leave year.

You may be able to carry over additional leave into the following year (with approval from the relevant member of the Leadership Team and HR) if you have been unable to take your annual leave due to sickness, maternity or shared parental leave or if you wish to carry additional leave to take an extended holiday the following year.

15.3 Annual Leave and Sickness

Annual leave may not be taken instead of sick leave.

If you fall sick during a period of annual leave, you are entitled to record the absence as sick leave and not as annual leave, provided that all of the following applies:

your line manager is notified immediately;
the period of incapacity seriously disrupts the period of leave

15.4 Half-Day Annual Leave

Leave taken in half days involves attendance at work for half of the net hours (excluding meal breaks) which would normally be worked.

15.5 Length of Annual Leave

A single period of leave should not normally exceed three weeks, but special requests for larger single periods will be given consideration by your line manager.

15.6 Accrual of Annual Leave

The annual leave allowance continues to accrue in the following situations:

during periods of sickness absence (during periods of long term absence you will be permitted to carry over any untaken annual leave from your statutory entitlement);
during any paid leave;
during periods of paid special leave;
during maternity/paternity/adoption leave (see maternity/paternity/adoption section of the staff handbook).

15.7 Purchasing Additional Leave

Each year you will be able to purchase up to 5 days (pro-rata for part time) annual leave. This purchase will need to be made during the annual leave application period which will be communicated to all staff each year.

The payment for additional leave will be taken as a deduction of your salary over the remaining months of the annual leave year.

15.8 Cash Compensation for Untaken Leave

Payment for untaken leave should be made only in the following circumstances:

if you resign, you may convert any untaken leave into a cash payment.
if you are medically retired whilst on sick leave, cash compensation should be allowed for the amount of leave untaken when the sick absence leading to the retirement began;
payment in full should be made for all leave untaken at the date of death in service.

The daily rate of pay for untaken leave is calculated by dividing the standard annual salary, including allowances and by the number of working days in the relevant year.

15.9 Public Holidays

You are entitled to eight public holidays per year (pro rata for part time) in additional to your normal annual leave allowances.

Adjustments will be made to overall leave entitlement for staff who work a flexible working arrangement or who are required to work shifts that fall on bank holiday.

16. Flexible Working

Last review: July 2024

Next review: July 2027

This policy provides guidance on flexible working options and sets out the formal process to make a flexible working request

Everyone has the right to request flexible working regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion, and belief (including lack of belief), sex and sexual orientation. You may wish to alter your work patterns to enable an effective work life balance. Sport Wales can help achieve this balance by considering a request for flexible working.

To be eligible you must not have made more than one other application for flexible working in the last 12 months unless this is part of a reasonable adjustment due to disability.

16.1 Flexible Working Request

You can request:

a change to your working hours;
a change to the times you are required to work; or
to work from home or another office location (whether for all or part of the week).

Please note that any reduction in working hours will result in the proportionate reduction in pay and other contractual benefits, such as pension contributions and annual leave.

Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Agreeing to one request will not set a precedent or create the right for another employee to be granted a similar change to their working pattern.

Flexible working encompasses a wide variety of working patterns. Examples include; part time working, flexi-time, compressed working week or fortnight, job sharing, term time working, working from home, staggered hours, temporary or gradual reduction in hours (retirement or ill health) and shift working.

You may request to temporarily change your working hours or vary your working pattern for a period of three months of less. In this instance, you will be guaranteed to return to your original hours or pattern after the period specified in the contract variation. If you wish to continue with the change working hours or varied working pattern or request a further change to your working hours or pattern you would need to submit a further flexible working request.

If you request to change working hours or vary working patterns for a period of greater than three months you will not be guaranteed to return to your original working hours or pattern. If you wished to revert to your original hours or pattern, or vary your working hours or pattern again, you would need to submit a further flexible working request. Please note you will be allowed to submit a maximum of 2 flexible working requests in a 12 month period.

16.2 Term-Time Working

Term-time working is an arrangement whereby an employee remains on a full or part-time contract but has the right to take an unpaid leave of absence during the school closure periods.

Salary Adjustments

Salary will be based on the number of term-time hours to be worked and will be paid in 12 equal monthly instalments or a pro rata number of instalments if the term-time working arrangement commences partway through the year. You should note that pay that has been averaged and is paid throughout the year in equal installments may affect the calculation of, and entitlement to, other benefits, i.e. annual leave.

Annual whole time salary x number of weeks worked = term time salary

Annual leave

You will agree with Sport Wales how much unpaid leave from work is required and when this is to be taken, based on factors such as the employee's paid annual leave entitlement, how long the school holidays will be, when the school holidays will occur, and whether or not alternative care arrangements can be made for some of the school holidays.

Annual leave for a whole time contract x number of weeks worked = entitlement

16.3 Compressed Hours

Compressed working hours is an arrangement whereby a standard 37 hour working week is compressed into fewer than 5 working days over a week or fewer than 10 working days over a fortnight.

Leave and Salary Adjustment

Provided you are not reducing your overall working hours there will be no change to your annual leave or salary.

As the number of hours you will be working each day will vary from the standard full time 7.4 hours, your annual leave will be displayed in hours rather than in days. Annual leave for a standard 37 hour contract is 33 days per year which equates to 244.2 hours.

Depending on your non-working day there will be an adjustment made to your bank holiday entitlement. Bank holidays for a standard 37 hour contract is usually 8 days per year which equates to 59.2 hours. If you were working 9.25 hours each day, this would give you 6.4 days of bank holiday per year (59.2 hours entitlement divided by 9.25 hours working day). If you were to have a greater number of bank holidays on your working days than you are entitled to, the bank holiday balance will be taken from your annual leave balance. Conversely if you were to have a greater number of bank holidays on your non-working day than you were entitled to then the bank holiday balance will be added to your annual leave balance.

All annual leave and bank holiday entitlements will be calculated by HR and verified by Payroll.

16.4 Training, work delivery and team meetings

You will have the same access to information and opportunities as employees working on standard 37 hour working pattern, year-round contracted employees and will, therefore, be expected to attend the workplace for training, work delivery, team meetings as needed. Every effort will be made to arrange mutually convenient dates during your working hours. However, this may not always be possible, in which case adequate notice of such dates will be given to enable you to attend. Any such ad-hoc changes to your working pattern requiring you to work a non-working day will be managed by you and your line manager. In such instances you will informally agree a date to take off the additional time worked.

16.5 Flexible Working Request Process

Your request must be in writing to your line manager, who may take advice from HR. Your request must;

be dated
specify the changes requested and the proposed date such changes should become effective
state whether a previous application has been made to Sport Wales and if so, when

Considering the request

You will meet with your Line Manager to discuss your request, consider how it might be accommodated, and the benefits to both you and Sport Wales.
You may be accompanied at the meeting by a colleague or trade union representative.
Where the request can be approved without further consultation, a meeting may not be necessary.
Where a line manager feels it may not be possible to support a request they will need to seek advice from HR. The outcome of your request will be communicated to you within 2 months from the date of request.

Outcome

Sport Wales will endeavour to accommodate your request but will need to balance the requested change against business need. Your line manager will notify you with the outcome of your request within 2 months of the date of your request. Your request may either be:

fully accepted;
granted on a trial basis (no longer than 6 months);
an alternative arrangement may be proposed or,
the request may be declined

If your request has been declined, Sport Wales will set out clear business grounds as to why the request cannot be accommodated and why such grounds apply to you.

The following grounds may be adopted by Sport Wales in refusing a request:

it will cost the business too much;
there will be a negative effect on ability to meet business or customer demand;
work cannot be reorganised among other employees;
unable to recruit more employees;
there will be a negative effect on quality;
there will be a negative effect on performance;
there is not enough work for you to do during the periods you are proposing to work; and/or
there are planned changes to the business, for example, an intention to reorganise or change the business and the request would not fit with these plans.

If Sport Wales agrees to your request, you will be provided with written details of your new working pattern and the date upon which it will take effect. The written details will form a change to your contract. If your request has been accepted you must ensure that you update any calendars used to communicate your availability, for most people this will be Microsoft outlook calendar.

Appeals

If Sport Wales is unable to accommodate your request for a change in working arrangements, there is no legal right of appeal. However, Sport Wales will allow an appeal for you to raise any procedural concerns or share any new information, for Sport Wales to review and change the decision if necessary. Your appeal should be set out in writing and be addressed to the person stated in the letter which notifies you of the decision. You should state the outcome that you are seeking from the appeal. You will need to appeal within 5 days of receiving notification of the decision.

An appeal meeting will then be arranged to take place within 2 months from the date of the original flexible working request. The appeal will be heard by a manager at least one grade higher than the person who made the original decision. You may be accompanied at the appeal meeting by a colleague or Trade Union representative.

Sport Wales will notify you of its appeal decision in writing within 2 months of the original request for flexible working. If the appeal is upheld, then Sport Wales will write to you providing details of the new working pattern and the date it will take effect. If the appeal is dismissed, then you will be provided with the grounds for that decision (appropriate to your grounds of appeal) and an explanation as to why these grounds apply.

16.6 Time Limits

The time limits mentioned above may be varied either by agreement between you and Sport Wales (such agreement to be confirmed in writing specifying what period the extension relates to and the date the extension will end) or where the relevant Manager, Head or Director who will deal with your request, is absent due to annual leave or sickness leave.

17. Flexi-Time

Last review: July 2024

Next review: July 2027

17.1 The Principle

The object of flexi time is to give our employees a degree of freedom in arranging their working day consistent with Sport Wales operating at maximum efficiency. Due to the nature of demands of work within Sport Wales there may be circumstances which would prevent the full flexibility envisaged by the Agreement.

The concept of flexi time is reasonably simple. It allows you to vary your working day and when you work your total contracted hours. It allows you to take time off when you have accrued hours above your normal weekly hours.

As Sport Wales has diverse roles, each department has varying needs, some may require an office presence from 9am to 4pm each weekday and others may not. All staff are required to adhere to departmental arrangements which may require you to be present during a specified core part of the day but You may vary your hours outside core period provided that:-

the overall efficiency of the office and adequate cover is maintained;
the overall hours worked over the long term remains the same as your contracted hours.

17.2 Accruing Flexi Time

Standard hours at Sport Wales are 37 hours per week (excluding lunch breaks) and the standard working day is therefore 37 / 5 = 7.4 hours (7 hours 24 minutes). A standard half day is 3.7 hours (3 hours 42 minutes). If your contracted hours are more or less than this your standard working day and standard half day will be different. You should use the above calculation to establish your standard working day.

Hours worked in excess of your contracted hours, and within the criteria of this policy, may be accrued as Flexi Time. You are responsible for ensuring you work your contracted hours and adhere to the Working Time Directive in ensuring that no more than 48 hours a week are worked.

17.3 Taking Flexi Time

As mentioned above, Sport Wales is a diverse organisation, each department has varying needs. Your department may require cover for a period of time during the day, for example 9am am to 4pm. In which case you will need to arrange within your department how this period of time will be covered. You need to ensure that the hours you work meet the service needs, including cover arrangements.

If you wish to take half a day or more as flexi leave, you must gain your manager’s agreement in advance, giving suitable notice.

Subject to management agreement, up to two days flexi-leave may be used in this way in an accounting period. It should be noted, however, that flexi-leave cannot be taken immediately following a period of sick leave unless a medical certificate of fitness to return to work is provided when flexi-leave is taken. Where flexi-time is taken no time is added to the flexi-time record sheet.

17.4 Bandwidths

Employees may vary their times of arrival and departure. Within your department there may be a set period of time during which you can accrue hours, for example, between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Friday, this is known as the bandwidth. In other departments there may be no bandwidth. If you chose to apply for flexi-time your manager will inform you if there is a bandwidth in place for your department.

17.5 Accounting Period

There will be a 4 week accounting period, the standard hours during the period being 148 (37 x 4). At the beginning of each accounting period the procedure allows the carry forward of any excess or deficit from the previous period as an adjustment to the recorded hours for the new period.

If the recorded hours are less than the standard hours for an accounting period then the deficit up to 15 hours (pro-rata for part timers) may be carried over and subtracted from the recorded hours for the next accounting period.

An excess of recorded hours over standard hours up to 30 hours (pro-rata for part timers) may be carried over and added to the recorded hours for the next accounting period.

Excess or deficit that exceeds this amount may be carried over at the approval of your line manager, however, you may lose excess if this is not approved If you are approved to carry over an excess or deficit you must ensure that you have a plan to reduce your excess or deficit within the limits detailed above by the following accounting period.

17.6 Credits for Absence

Credits will be recorded, if authorised, for absences such as:

Leave – annual, sick, special, or official holiday,
official duties away from the office,
time spent on training courses, day release, etc.
non-routine or emergency medical, dental and similar appointments which cannot be arranged outside of standard working hours
absence for industrial relations activities authorised under the terms of the Facilities Agreement
adverse weather conditions.

Credits for a whole day will be recorded as your standard working day which for those on a 37 hour contract will be 7.4 hours (7 hours 24 minutes) and for half a day as 3.7 hours (3 hours 42 minutes).

17.7 Overtime Arrangements

Overtime, as authorised by management, is separate from flexi-time and will continue to be recorded separately.

17.8 Travelling Time

Compensation for travelling time will be given in accordance with the relevant provisions of Sport Wales ’ Travel and Subsistence Policy. The following rules will apply to employees on flexi time:-

For the purpose of applying the travelling time rules, travel on official duty, within your standard working day will count towards the flexible working hours total.
Travel on official duty outside your standard working day may also be treated as flexi time. The start time and end time of travel will depend on the nature and length of travel. If you are staying overnight your actual hours of work should be recorded.

Please note that the above does not include your daily travel to and from work.

17.9 Eligibility and Application

All staff, with the exception of those in working a shift pattern or a fixed pattern of working, are eligible to apply.

You may elect to work flexi-time by completing a contract variation form. This will then need approval from your line manager who will confirm whether there is a need to maintain office cover over a period of time (e.g. 9am to 4pm) or if there is a bandwidth over which time you can accrue hours (e.g. 7am and 7pm). The HR department will then arrange formal confirmation. All employees transferring to a flexi time arrangement will be required to keep an individual record of their attendance and are responsible for ensuring this is accurate.

If you join the flexi-time scheme, you may choose to opt out of the scheme, you must do this by requesting this in writing to your line manager.

17.10 Recording of Attendance and Credits

Your actual hours of work must be recorded using the flexi-time sheet provided by HR. You are responsible for ensuring this is an accurate record and informing your line manager of your total hours at the end of each period, for approval.

Abuse of flexi time is considered to be a breach of the scheme and line managers should take every opportunity to prevent possible abuse. Persistent or serious abuse should be reported to the HR department and may result in removal from the scheme and/or disciplinary action.

18. Hybrid Working

Last review: July 2024

Next review: July 2027

Sport Wales is committed to supporting employees to achieve a work life balance and recognises that employees may wish or need to split their time between working in an office or working remotely (be that at home or another location). Working remotely is beneficial to employees and employers in that it can aid work-life balance more effectively and improve and increase productivity as well as reducing unnecessary travel and hence environmental damage.

However, it may not be possible to offer hybrid working to all employees as the requirements of some jobs will not be suitable for such arrangements.

18.1 Principles

Hybrid working is an informal flexible working arrangement which enables you to work from your contractual workplace, or one or more agreed remote working locations. Your workplace will be detailed in your contract of employment. This will either be Cardiff, Deeside or Llanelli.

Sport Wales will endeavour to accommodate hybrid working. There will be a requirement for you to attend the workplace to accommodate the needs of the organisation. The structure of hybrid working will vary from one person to the next, depending on their job role and requirements and are subject to agreement with your line manager.

If you disagree with the levels of flexibility in hybrid working given to you and you are unable to reach a resolution with your line manager, you should raise this with your line manager’s manager.

When based at a remote working location, you will be expected to comply with Sport Wales’ policies and procedures that apply to office-based employees, particularly with regard to data protection, confidentiality, and Health and Safety.

18.2 Leadership Team Responsibilities

Ensure that managers in their areas of responsibility are managing those working remotely in accordance with this policy and Sport Wales values.
Resolve any issues or concerns raised regarding the implementation of this policy in their work areas
In conjunction with Technology Solutions, consider any requests to remotely work from outside of the UK on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the principles outlined in this policy

18.3 HR Responsibilities

Provide DSE risk assessments to be used by employees and reviewed by managers
Advise Managers and Leadership on the implementation and application of this policy, seeking to ensure consistency, as far as possible, allowing for differences in application according to operational need.
Review and update the policy in line with legislative changes and business requirements, in consultation with our recognised trade union

18.4 Line Manager Responsibilities

Determine hybrid working patterns with their team members, in accordance with the principles set out in this policy
In conjunction with Technology Solutions, ensure team members have the appropriate equipment to carry out their work from a remote working location
Support employees to identify and resolve any new pressures created by working from a remote working location
Reviewing approach to ensure arrangements are fit for purpose
Promptly address any concerns regarding operational output or availability arising from hybrid working arrangements with the member of staff with a view to reaching a mutually beneficial solution

18.5 Employee Responsibilities

Ensure a suitable working environment at your remote working location that enables you to carry out your role effectively
Continue to work the hours required by your contract of employment
Follow the relevant policies, guidelines, procedures, training and assessments
Ensure that you update any calendars used to communicate your availability, for most people this will be Microsoft outlook calendar.
Identify and seek to resolve any new pressures created by working from a remote working location
Maintain adequate broadband to ensure effective delivery of your work and contact with your line manager and colleagues
Exercise flexibility to meet the needs of our organisation
Inform your line manager if you wish to work remotely from a location outside of the UK

18.6 Hybrid Working Patterns

Managers should work with their team members to determine what levels of flexibility are required on a case-by-case basis, and work to accommodate these as far as reasonably possible, without having a negative impact on the needs of the business or staff wellbeing.

Managers should consider:

If there are core times that employees need to work together in person (for team meetings, development, wellbeing, or project work for example)
Whether there are any activities that can only be done at specific times from the workplace or a remote working location
How often should team members meet in person or remote working location
Whether work delivery is more effective in a face-to-face meeting or from a remote working location
If there are line management responsibilities for which the team would benefit from face-to-face contact.
If there are areas for individual development that would be more effectively addressed through face-to-face contact.

18.7 Hybrid Working Locations

You will normally work from your contractual workplace or one or more agreed working locations. It is also possible to work from other locations, such as other public bodies with shared spaces, libraries, cafes and hubs. If you wish to work from a new location or are in doubt as to the suitability of the location, please discuss this with your line manager to consider other organisational policies relating to information and cyber security.

Sport Wales does not support requests for you to work abroad for personal reasons. This is due to our specific responsibilities as an employer, including taxation, the right to work, and ensuring that the full contractual requirements of the role are met without exception.

18.8 Caring Responsibilities

Domestic and caring commitments that may impact the working day must be kept separate under any remote working arrangements. Working remotely can support you in managing your caring responsibilities but should not substitute for them. For example, if you have a nursery aged child, working remotely may enable you to pick your child up from nursery more quickly than if you were to work from a workplace but it would not be appropriate to care for your child in the day in substitute of alternative care arrangements.

You should discuss any caring responsibilities you have and the impact on your working day with your manager to ensure there is a consistent approach, although there will be different arrangements in place for different employees and their needs. HR does not need to be informed of arrangements for those working remotely but can offer support or guidance.

You are expected to comply fully with the terms of your manager’s agreement in relation to caring responsibilities and must inform line management of any changes. You should keep your calendar visible and updated so colleagues know when their peers are not available.

18.9 Equipment

Sport Wales will provide equipment required for you to work from your remote working location. It is your responsibility to ensure that the equipment is well maintained on an on-going basis. Equipment remains Sport Wales’ property and you must:

Ensure it is only used by you and only for the purposes for which we have provided it;
Take reasonable care of it and use it only in accordance with our ICT policies and procedures;
Keep equipment secure and safe when working or travelling between locations; and
Make it available for collection by Sport Wales or on our behalf when requested to do so.

Computer equipment such as laptops, remote access security tokens and USB storage keys are available from Technology Solutions which allow access to Sport Wales’ network. Employees should request these items via Technology Solutions.

Items such as a laptop riser, chair, desk and stationery items are available from Registry.

Should you leave Sport Wales you will be required to return all equipment to Technology Solutions and Registry. Failure to return Sport Wales equipment will result in deduction from your final salary to recover costs.

Sport Wales is not responsible for the associated costs of employees working from your remote working location, including the costs of heating, lighting, electricity, broadband internet.

18.10 Health and Safety

You are obliged to create a conducive work environment in compliance with the Health and Safety Policy of Sport Wales and to ensure there is adequate space for your work to be carried out safely, in accordance with our DSE requirements.

Sport Wales is responsible for your safety at work. However, you have the responsibility and obligations to take reasonable care not to harm yourself or others in carrying out your work. Sport Wales may need to check your remote working location for any Health and Safety purposes.

18.11 Travel Arrangements

If you travel on official business and begin the journey from your remote location, you are entitled only to claim the lesser of the actual cost of the journey, or the cost of the journey as if it started from your contracted workplace.

18.12 Confidentiality

Equipment and documents should only be accessible to the employee, and they should always be safeguarded at any location you work from.

You are advised not to release your home address and/or personal telephone number to people other than employees. You are also strongly advised not to meet partners or customers at home.

18.13 Insurance

You are responsible for the safekeeping and security of Sport Wales property whilst working from a remote location. Sport Wales is responsible for taking out and maintaining a valid policy of insurance covering any equipment we provide against fire, theft, loss, and damage throughout your employment. You shall not do, cause, or permit any act or omission which will invalidate the insurance policy, in accordance with our ICT Policy.

You are unlikely to require changes to your home contents insurance or mortgage, but we advise that you seek confirmation from your providers.

18.14 Monitoring and Review

The eligibility and effectiveness of remote working arrangements is subject to monitoring and review by line managers. Where issues have been identified, for example if there are performance concerns you may be required to attend the workplace more regularly to benefit from face-to-face training, support, or guidance. The Line Manager should seek advice and guidance from HR if any problems arise.

19. Special Leave

Last review: July 2024

Next review: July 2027

Sport Wales is committed to developing work practices and HR policies that support work-life balance and equality of opportunity in employment.

Sport Wales recognises that there will be occasions where you need to take time off for reasons that do not necessarily fall under normal annual leave or sick leave provisions. In many situations this may be managed flexibly and informally between you and your line manager.

This policy sets out a range of special leave options, which may be with or without pay, to help you balance personal commitments, or circumstances that may be beyond your control. This policy is designed to be adaptive to your circumstances, therefore in most instances there is no prescribed length of time that is deemed suitable, however there may be a limit on the amount of time that is fully paid. Line managers and HR are responsible for ensuring the policy is applied fairly and equitably.

19.1 Procedure

To apply for special leave, you will need to complete a special leave request form, available from the intranet. The request will be considered by your line manager, with advice from the HR team (where relevant). The form should then be sent to HR for sign off. All requests for special leave will be considered taking account of individual circumstances, equity and fairness.

19.2 Responsibilities when requesting special leave

Employees’ responsibilities:

Consider whether annual and/or flexi leave are more appropriate in the circumstances (except for jury service).
Be aware that requests for paid or unpaid time off may not always be granted.

Managers’ responsibilities:

Be aware of statutory rights to time off - for instance to participate in public duties or deal with emergencies involving dependants.
Consider all requests fairly and equitably against the needs of the business and what is reasonable in the circumstances
Consider whether any other form of leave is more appropriate (annual leave, flexi, TOIL or sickness)

HR Responsibilities:

Ensure this policy is maintained, up to date and complies with statutory provisions.
Oversee requests for special leave ensuring equity and fairness.

19.3 Domestic Emergencies Leave

Domestic emergency covers time off for situations that will be unforeseen or unexpected. The interpretation of ‘domestic’ can be flexible. For example, this type of time off may be allowed if you have been a victim of crime, or fire or flood at your home.

You will be given time off to attend to the emergency. You will be paid for up to 1 working day domestic emergency leave per year. Where paid leave has been exhausted, unpaid leave can be granted. If there is a longer term need you should discuss this with your manager who will consider other options such as annual leave or flexible working.

19.4 Emergency leave for dependents

You have a statutory right to take a reasonable amount of time off work to deal with an unforeseen emergency involving a dependant.

Dependants are husbands or wives, partners, children, parents, friends or family members who depend on you for care.

Emergency for a dependent could be;

Illness of a dependant and the need to make care arrangements
Unexpected disruption or breakdown in care arrangements
An incident during a child’s school hours e.g. injury or suspension

You have a statutory right to take unpaid time off to deal with the emergency. Sport Wales will enhance this to provide you with up to 3 days paid dependants emergency leave per annum (pro rata for part time).

Where paid leave has been exhausted, unpaid leave can be granted. If there is a longer term need you should discuss this with your manager who will consider other options such as annual leave or flexible working.

19.5 Carers Leave

If you have caring responsibilities, you have a statutory right to take time off work. Carer’s leave applies to someone who needs to provide or arrange care for a dependent who has:

A physical or mental illness or injury that means they’re expected to need care for more than 3 months
A disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
Care needs because of old age

You have a statutory right to take unpaid time off for carer’s leave. Sport Wales will enhance this to provide up to 5 days full pay for this leave per annum (pro rata for part time). This can be taken in smaller amounts or a full block of 5 days, according to need.

19.6 Compassionate Leave

You may be faced with difficult personal circumstances in the event of serious illness or death of a close relative. Sport Wales recognises that employees may need to take time away from work in these circumstances.

Paid time off can be granted in the event of serious illness or the death of a dependent, close relative or person with whom you are in a close relationship. For example, a husband, wife, child, civil partner, partner, parent, sibling, grand-parent, parent-in-law or someone who has acted as a parent.

The amount of paid time off for serious illness or family bereavement will depend on your circumstances and relationship with the deceased. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Parents who suffer the death of a child (under 18 years old or stillborn after 24 weeks’ pregnancy) have the statutory right to at least 2 weeks paid special leave. This time off is not limited to 2 weeks and will be extended on a case by case basis.

19.7 Fostering

You may be a foster carer or approved kindship carer and require flexibility to meet the needs of your fostered child or young person. Paid time off can be granted if you are:

applying to become a foster carer
an approved foster carer and have a child in placement (or have had a child in placement for 75% of the previous twelve months)
an approved kinship carer

You will be given paid time over a 12 month period, pro-rata if part time, as follows:

assessment and training prior to approval as a foster carer - up to three days
attendance at panel for approval – one day
child review meetings, annual foster carer review meeting, training – up to five days.

Our flexible working, parental leave, emergency time off for dependents policies all apply to those

19.8 Court or Tribunal Attendance

If you are called upon to serve as a juror, become a member of a tribunal, or to appear in court and/or tribunal as a witness, you will be granted paid special leave for the whole period that you will be required to undertake such duty.

If you receive a Summons for Jury Service, you should inform your line manager as soon as possible and provide a copy of the confirmation of jury service letter to your line manager as soon as you receive it.

On any days you are not required at court, you are expected to attend work or work from home where possible.

19.9 Study Leave

If you wish to undertake a qualification or other accredited development which would benefit you in your work, you may be granted paid special leave so you can attend tutorials and sit examinations.

For further details please refer to the Long-Term Study policy in the Staff Handbook.

19.10 Participation in Sporting Events

Sport Wales will allow paid special leave for those participating in multi-sport, world standard international events, including the Olympics, World Class Competition, European and Commonwealth Games. To be considered for special leave, selection at full international level (not age group) will be required. The period of special leave will cover travel to, and participation in the event.

If you have been selected to act as an official for full representative multi-sport world standard international events you may be given paid special leave provided:

There is capacity to cover existing service commitments both during the event itself and any subsequent time off in lieu.
Attendance represents an agreed development opportunity.
Completion of requisite Governing Body or Olympic/Paralympic association administration.

Special leave of up to the full period may be granted, but we reserve the right to deduct from your salary any payments made to you from promoters or governing bodies.

If you have been selected to act as an official to support a sporting event that does not represent an agreed development opportunity, you may be given paid special leave up to half of the length of time required (with annual leave or unpaid leave covering the remaining).

19.11 Attendance during poor weather conditions

We appreciate that in adverse weather conditions you may be unable to get to your place of work.  In such circumstances you should work from home if this is possible.  If you are unable to work from home or travel to your place of work paid special leave may be granted to cover the period in which travel is not possible. There is an expectation that you will demonstrate how you were prevented from attending your place of work.

19.12 Major disruption to public transport

If there is unexpected major disruption to public transport that prevents you from being able to work and it is not possible for you to work from home, and all alternative methods of transport such as cycling, use of a pool car or taxi have been explored you may be allowed paid special leave. If the major disruption to public transport is known in advance it may be more appropriate to use annual leave, if this is not possible unpaid special leave will be granted.

19.13 Appointment to Public Bodies

You have a statutory right to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off to carry out public duties e.g. school governor, magistrate or board member.

Sport Wales supports individuals who want to contribute to the wider community. Therefore, special leave with pay will usually be allowed to enable you to carry out public duties. Sport Wales reserves the right to deduct from your salary any payments made to you from public bodies to carry out these duties.

You should notify your line manager when you undertake public duties and provide as much notice as possible. The amount of time that is ‘reasonable’ depends on what is necessary to fulfil the role, however this would usually not exceed more than 5 days per year.

19.14 Reservists

We will support you if you are a member of the Reserve Forces, in recognition of the valuable contribution that Reservists make to the nation’s defence and the personal and job related benefits that come from the additional skills gained.

We will provide paid special leave to assist you in undertaking your Reserves Forces training. If additional time off is needed, Sport Wales will, wherever possible, be flexible in granting annual leave or unpaid special leave. You are required to give as much notice as possible of all leave requirements for training purposes.

Reservists are mobilised when called into full-time military service in support of military operations. Special leave whilst mobilised is unpaid. You will have no entitlement to annual leave and bank holidays whilst on mobilisation as a reservist.

At the end of mobilisation, you should return to work within as soon as reasonably possible.

19.15 Volunteering

Sport Wales recognises the commitment needed to volunteer and serve the community, while also developing valuable new skills and networks. In recognition of this commitment and to encourage active community involvement, Sport Wales will provide paid time off. The length of time will vary depending on the work involved but it is anticipated this would be no more than 5 days per year.

19.16 Elective surgery/procedures

Time off for surgery, treatment and recuperation that relates to a medical or psychological condition and is supported by a medical certificate, will be treated as sick leave in the same manner as any other medical appointment.

In cases of elective surgery, annual leave should be taken in the first instance. In exceptional circumstances unpaid leave may be granted subject to operational needs. Elective surgery is surgery/procedures that is not considered to be medically necessary, including cosmetic surgery. Requests for time off for surgery, treatment and recuperation should follow the normal process for requesting annual leave. If such treatment results in you becoming unfit for work, e.g. due to infection or other complications, the sickness procedure would apply.

19.17 Fertility Treatment

If you are following a course of fertility treatment and have been employed by Sport Wales for more than one continuous year you will be eligible to apply for special leave for fertility treatment. This includes same-sex partners and single persons.

Receiving treatment: Up to 5 days paid leave within a 12-month period to cover necessary treatment during a fertility treatment cycle.

Partners: Up to 2 days paid leave within a 12-month period to cover necessary treatment and to provide support during a fertility treatment cycle.

The 12-month period runs from the first day that leave is taken for the purposes of fertility treatment. If you become ill because of, or during infertility treatment and are unable to attend work, the sickness absence procedure would apply.

19.18 Other special leave

You may apply to your manager for special leave with or without pay for other personal reasons not previously covered. Advice on applying for other special leave is available from the HR team.

20. Career Breaks

Career breaks are a form of unpaid special leave which can be requested for a variety of reasons. They enable you to balance your career and personal life whilst preserving continuity of employment.

Career breaks could three months but would usually not exceed two years. Requests for career breaks will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You will need to put your request in writing to your manager giving three month's notice before you intend to start a career break. Your manager will need to consider how your work and responsibilities will be covered whilst you are off, they will also take into account your performance, attendance and whether you have been subject to disciplinary procedures. Managers will consult with HR, before deciding whether to approve a request, to ensure fairness and consistency across Sport Wales. You will have no entitlement to annual leave and bank holidays whilst on career break and it may affect your continuity of service for pension purposes.