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Leave ManagementAnnual LeaveThe purpose of annual leave is to ensure that employees have a reasonable period of rest and recreation following each year of employment. Employees are normally expected to take their full annual holiday entitlement within the year following its accrual. Under the Holidays Act and the University's employment agreements, the onus is on the employer, through line managers, to ensure that staff take their holidays. Annual leave cannot be dealt with on a "use it or lose it" basis unless a staff member has been formally directed to take annual leave (see excess annual leave below). Ideally staff would take responsibility for the self-management of annual leave within the boundaries set out in employment agreements. As some do not, however, a more structured approach is necessary. Leave Management PlanTo help the University manage annual leave entitlements more effectively line managers will discuss with their staff each year the date on which holidays will be taken and develop an annual leave plan. Line managers must ensure that either a copy of the annual leave plan, signed by the staff member and the line manager, is sent to HRM Division or staff apply for the leave concerned and take their annual holidays in accordance with the plan produced (or as otherwise agreed). The main purposes are to ensure that:
Recording of Annual LeaveUnless annual leave has already been notified and approved in writing in some other way (e.g. in a study leave application or by means of a signed annual leave plan), every employee must complete and submit a Leave Application in Āku Mahi for every absence from work for the purposes of annual leave. Line managers are required to consider and approve/decline applications for annual leave and ensure that employees are submitting application forms correctly. If an employee fails to submit an application, the line manager must personally complete and submit a form for recording purposes, and advise the employee of the correct procedure. There is already a system in place for academic staff to apply for and record annual leave that may occur during a period of study leave. There are, in addition, systems in place for line managers to approve time for travelling and attendance at conferences or other official business activities. Any time taken in addition to that reasonably required for the activity must be identified and recorded as annual leave or leave without pay as part of the approval process. Carry ForwardLeave may not be carried forward beyond the 12-month period within which it falls due except with the written permission of the employee's line manager and then only in accordance with the provisions of the relevant employment agreement. Any requests to carry forward annual leave to a subsequent year must be accompanied by the reasons for the request, and may only be approved when:
Every effort must be made to ensure that a carry forward of unused annual leave does not occur by default or perpetuate an excess annual leave situation. Excess Annual LeaveAny annual leave accrued above the amounts permitted within applicable employment agreements is excessive and a plan must be worked out to ensure that annual leave is reduced to an appropriate balance by an agreed date. Where discussions have been held between the line manager and the staff member regarding appropriate time for the clearing of excess leave but no agreement has been reached (or where planned leave is subsequently cancelled and not taken shortly thereafter) then the line manager may require a staff member to take annual leave at a specific time. The line manager must give the staff member at least fourteen days' notice in writing, and preferably more, specifying the actual dates on which annual leave will be taken. A template letter is available for this purpose; for further information place contact your Human Resource Advisor. |