Unpaid career breaks are intended to allow employees the opportunity to take time away from the University, whether for personal reasons, professional reasons or a combination of both. This can include but is not limited to: travel, wellbeing, to carry our personal research, or take up full-time study or voluntary work.

Request for unpaid career breaks are employee-led, therefore it is an employee's choice whether to make an application and whether to accept the resulting contractual variation, should the application be approved.

To be eligible to apply, an employee must have at least two years’ continuous service at the date the unpaid career break is intended to start. The unpaid career breaks may be for a minimum of three months and a maximum of two years, with the start and end dates of the break clearly defined and is subject to mutual agreement. Requests for shorter periods will be treated as ordinary unpaid leave.

For further guidance, including how to apply, and the University policy please see the links below.

Unpaid Career Breaks Guidance

Unpaid Career Breaks Policy