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Updates to University HR policies
Several updates to University HR policies will take effect from 1 April 2024 under changes to UK employment legislation on:
From 6 April 2024, the Flexible Working Amendment Regulations 2023 will make flexible working a day one right for all employees. This legal entitlement will allow employees to make two flexible working requests in a 12-month period, instead of one; reduce the time period in which the University must respond to a request from three months to two months; require the University to consult with an employee if it is considering rejecting a request; and remove the requirement for employees to specify how the University might deal with the workplace effects of the flexible working request.
From 6 April 2024, employees will have a legal entitlement to take up to one week’s unpaid leave per year to provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need as defined in the policy. This statutory leave will apply to all employees from the start of their employment.
Under these changes, long-term needs are defined as: anyone with a condition that meets the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010; physical or mental Illness or injury that requires or is likely to require care for more than three months; or old age.
The University has updated its Bereavement, emergency dependant/carer’s leave, and long-term carer’s leave policy to give 5 days of unpaid carer’s leave for those who need to plan care for someone with a long-term care need and have retained the 5 days paid emergency dependant/carer’s leave subject to conditions set out in the policy.
The Paternity Leave Amendment Regulations 2024 will apply in all cases where the expected week of childbirth falls on or after 6 April 2024. Under this new entitlement, employees can split paternity/ partner leave into two blocks of one week at any point in the first year after the birth or adoption of their child, as opposed to taking this leave as either one week or two consecutive weeks. Employees will have to give notice of entitlement as well as 28-day notice to inform the University of their intention to take statutory paternity/partner leave.
From 6 April 2024 the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave Act 2023) will give employees who are pregnant or returning from maternity, adoption or shared parental leave priority status for redeployment opportunities in a redundancy situation. Guidelines for managers and HRBPs will be updated to reflect the changes during April/May. Any queries in that time should be directed to your HRBP or the HR Policy team.
In addition to the legal changes Senate have agreed to the introduction of Emeritus Regulations:
Emeritus
Senate have agreed to the introduction of Emeritus regulations (Emeritus Professors | Human Resources | University of Bristol) to replace the current HR Emeritus Professors Policy. The key changes include:
We will be writing to all existing Emeritus in due course asking them to sign an Honorary contract to enable them to continue with IT access (including a User ID) and campus access (U-Card).
