Disability Leave

The following examples cover situations where disability leave may be required. This list is not definitive, and further advice can be sought from the HR Advisor team to support individual cases:

• Hospital appointments related to an individual’s disability
• Specialist clinic appointments
• Rehabilitation
• Disability related treatment such as blood transfusion, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or dialysis
• Assessment for conditions
• Training for example with guide or hearing dog or in the use of specialist equipment
• Physiotherapy related to the disability
• Counselling for a mental health condition
• To allow for adaptions or adjustments to be implemented in the workplace

The University provides up to 5 working days* (pro-rata for part time employees) paid leave within a 12-month rolling period, which commences on the first day leave is taken. Disability leave can be taken as a half day (which is the minimum time that can be taken off) or a full day of an employee's working day and can be taken on individual days or as a whole week (pro-rata), where required.

Disability leave is discretionary, not a contractual entitlement, to be used when required for the purposes set out in this policy. Many colleagues with disabilities will not need to take the full allowance every year.

Disability leave is not intended for sickness absence that is related to a disability, which should continue to be recorded as sickness absence following procedures set by the University. It should not be used as a replacement for sick leave or as an additional entitlement to University sick pay.

*For simplicity we have referred to days but to mirror other leave it will be converted to hours (5 days = 36.5 hours)

Disability leave is a type of leave which has been approved by the University for a pre-agreed fixed short period(s) of time, for example for a planned appointment, to help employees manage their disability.

Disability related sickness is a form of sickness absence that is either directly or indirectly attributed to an employee’s disability and as such should be recorded as sickness absence. An employee should inform their manager in cases where a sickness absence is attributed to their disability when notifying them of their absence. Further guidance on our support regarding sickness absence related to a disability is available.

To help the University effectively support disabled employees with removing or reducing barriers, employees are encouraged to have an open dialogue with their manager about their disability, the barriers they face at work and the support they need from the University to reduce or remove these. Although the disclosure of a disability is voluntary, employees who require disability leave should have informed the University of their disability for the requested period of leave to be agreed. Confirmation of appointments may be requested.

Conversations regarding the need for disability leave should be a part of ongoing support and adjustments agreed between the employee and their manager, which can be documented through an individual's Tailored Adjustment Plan (TAP). Employees can involve a member of the HR Advisor team with these conversations if this would be beneficial.

Once conversations have taken place between an employee and their manager in relation to the use of disability leave, the below steps should be followed for this to be recorded:

1. The employee should apply for a period of disability leave via Employee Self Service, similar to booking annual leave but ensure that they choose disability leave as the reason for leave, under 'other absence'.
2. If half a day is required, the employee will need to book a full day on iTrent but add in 'notes' that they only need to take a half day and also email humanresources@exeter.ac.uk so that they can amend this to show as half a day only.  
3. Managers will receive an automated request via email and should "approve" the leave.
4. If an employee needs to change or delete a period of disability leave once requested, they will need to contact their line manager for them to amend the iTrent record as employees do not have authorisation to make any changes to this type of leave once it is approved in iTrent.

The below examples outline how disability leave may be used. The list of examples are not exhaustive.

These examples assume that no disability leave has been taken in the preceding 12 months.