Special Leave of Absence
Notice to Employee
The special leave of absence procedure provides the school and/or multi-academy with special leave arrangements for compassionate or other personal leave instead of a statutory entitlement.
A reminder that the new special leave of absence procedure covers the following:
- Making a request for special leave.
- Decision maker and appeals table.
- Use of annual leave for teaching and non-teaching staff.
- Discretion to grant special leave.
- Reasonable time off for dependents – statutory entitlement.
- Medical appointments.
- Jury service.
- Type of special leave which can be granted and whether paid or unpaid.
Birch-HR have drafted a notice to remind staff of expectations, their obligations and time off for dependents. If you have a special leave procedure, please ensure all staff have access to this or signpost them to this information.
Download Notice to Employee
Our Blog
News & Events
We provide regular HR news, briefing and training events for our clients. We provide thought leadership articles for HR, education and business national media.
Menopause preparation: large employers can’t afford to wait
From April 2026, organisations with 250+ employees are expected to voluntarily publish Menopause Action Plans, with mandatory reporting likely to follow in 2027. For HR and business leaders, this is more than a compliance exercise—it’s a workforce risk issue. The...
Case Study: How proactive HR support protected our client and strengthened their processes
Recently, our HR consultancy partnered with a new client a growing charity facing several challenging situations, including an ongoing tribunal claim from a former employee and gaps in their people processes. They needed confidence, clarity, progress, and risk...
Navigating HR in 2026: Key Trends and Challenges for small to mid-sized businesses
In the ever-evolving world of work, leaders especially in small to mid-sized businesses are facing a unique blend of challenges and opportunities. What worked even a couple of years ago may no longer be fit for purpose. At Birch-HR we’ve been working closely with...
Enquire Today
We look forward to arranging a convenient time to establish how we can best support your current leadership with the delivery of both current and future HR priorities.



