For when life gets in the way:  take ‘Life Leave’

When employees picture the perfect way to use their annual leave, moving house, waiting for the boiler to be repaired or arranging their car's MOT are unlikely to feature high on the list. Unfortunately, the realities of life are such that time is precious and taking annual leave may be the only way for employees to manage all the things life throws at us. Whilst many employers offer some flexibility around work (such as for GP or dental appointments), there are still only so many hours in the day and squeezing in time to dispatch with “life admin” is hard! 

In response to this, a trend is emerging that sees employers offering additional, flexible, paid leave on top of an employee’s annual leave allowance and other leave entitlements (such as sickness, family and compassionate leave) to cover ‘life events’ where the event does not involve rest and relaxation.

The amount of time on offer and how employees are expected to use that time vary. Brewing company, Molson Coors offers 2 weeks' paid ‘Life Leave’ annually to cover “anything from settling in a new pet, studying for exams or the days leading up to a wedding”. Clarion Housing Group offers 5 days' paid ‘Life Event Leave’ to cover “life eventualities and significant personal situations”. 

Given the well-established benefits annual leave brings from a productivity and well-being perspective, providing ‘Life Leave’ so that employees can preserve their annual leave purely for rest and rejuvenation is being seen as a more effective way to attract and retain top talent and boost employee engagement.  You will have heard us say this before, but a happy workforce is often a more engaged and productive one – so 'Life Leave' can make commercial sense for business, as well as contributing positively to the overall 'employee experience'.

So, if you’re considering implementing a ‘Life Leave’ policy, what do you need to think about? 

1. Review your existing leave policies - you will want to make sure that it is clear what type of leave an employee can take and under which policy. Before drafting a Life Leave policy identify which other types of ‘life events’ are already covered by other policies to avoid overlap. Remember that employees are entitled to a suite of statutory employment rights, which include paid and unpaid time off in certain circumstances.  For example, employees have a statutory right to “reasonable time off” (usually only for a pretty limited period) to take care of a dependant (whether that’s to make care arrangements or to deal with a medical emergency). Other rights to time off include for attending interviews in a redundancy situation and for family-related leave – such as antenatal appointments. Ensure that your staff handbook covers the statutory leave available to employees so that they know which events already have time off and rights available to them. 
2. Draft a clear ‘Life Leave’ policy and make sure managers understand how it will operate and the parameters – When implementing a new ‘Life Leave’ policy, remember to distinguish between what constitutes ‘Life Leave’ and the statutory leave/rights available to employees in your other policies. Be clear about which personal situations are covered by ‘Life Leave’ leave. Think about the notice requirements, the level of entitlement, whether the leave is paid or unpaid, the circumstances in which you may want to refuse or postpone the leave - for example, where the timing is disruptive for the business, as well as whether there is a right to carry over ‘Life Leave’ or, as is more likely, whether unused leave is forfeited. This will help to ensure your policy is applied consistently between employees and understood by the workforce. 
3. Communicate with employees – Consider how best to communicate the benefits of the ‘Life Leave’ policy. This will help to cultivate a culture of trust with employees where they feel comfortable disclosing why they may need to take time off.

We recognise that ‘Life Leave’ may not be a workable offering for all employers due to staffing logistics, cost pressures, and/ or the nature/demands of the employer’s business. But, whether you offer ‘Life Leave’ or not, clearly articulating the leave rights available to staff through your existing policies and employment benefits is always a good way to foster employee engagement. Even if you are not in a position to offer a formal Life Leave policy you may still be able to support your employees through life events not covered by statutory leave through discretionary support offered on an as needed basis. 

If you are thinking about updating your existing policies, or indeed introducing a ‘Life Leave’ policy, please contact Pip Galland, Eve Maxwell or your usual Burges Salmon contact to find out more. 

This article has been co-authored by Eve Maxwell, Trainee Solicitor.

What is Life Leave, and will it work for your business?

https://timetastic.co.uk/blog/what-is-life-leave/