4. Time Off for Volunteer Reservists

4.1 Volunteer Reservists cover members of the Royal Naval Reserves, the Royal Marine Reserves, the Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

4.2 Time off for training

  • In order to help members of staff who are also members of the Volunteer Reserve Forces (VRF) fulfill their training commitments, the University will grant 5 days' paid leave per leave year for attendance at VRF summer camps and training exercises.  This paid leave is in addition to the member of staff’s normal annual leave entitlement.
  • Any additional time off required in relation to VRF training should be taken from the member of staff’s normal holiday entitlement.
  • Members of staff should request time off for VRF training purposes through Employee Self Service, ensuring that they give their line manager reasonable notice of any time off requested.

4.3 Mobilisation

  • On being called up for full-time military service, the member of staff should notify their line manager of this as soon as possible, and provide them with a copy of the ‘Call-out for Mobilisation’ notification letter.  The line manager should then notify the relevant College/US HR Manager of the required leave. 
  • Members of staff will be granted time off when they are called up for active duty, unless their absence would cause obvious or significant harm to the organisation, in which case the University must apply for an exemption or deferral of the mobilisation.
  • Any time off granted in relation to active military service will be without pay and all contractual benefits will be suspended for that period*.  The member of staff will be compensated for loss of earnings and contractual benefits by the Ministry of Defense (MoD).  *Where the employee is a member of a University pension scheme and they continue to pay the employee contribution, the MoD will make the employer contribution for the period of the mobilisation.
  • Members of staff should ensure, where possible, that any holiday entitlement accrued during the current leave year is taken prior to the mobilisation in order that this is not lost.
  • Within 10 working days of having been notified of the required leave of absence, College/University Services HR will write out to the member of staff confirming the arrangements and setting out the contractual implications.  

4.4 Returning to work following mobilisation

  • Providing that the member of staff applies for reinstatement, they will be taken back on in the same role and on equally favourable terms and conditions as they were on when they were last employed (or as near as practicable).   Where this is not practicable, the member of staff will be re-employed in a suitable alternative role.
  • In line with the Ministry of Defence guidelines, where a member of staff wishes to be reinstated they must notify the University in writing no later than the 3rd Monday after the last day of mobilisation, and must state the date they can return to work which should be no later than the 6th Monday after the end of mobilisation. The University will ensure that the member of staff is reinstated as soon as reasonably practicable from the date specified in the member of staff’s reinstatement letter.