Family, medical and additional leave benefits for UKRI and University of Leeds funded PGRs  Carer’s, compassionate and additional leave entitlements

Special leave can be used for unexpected or sensitive situations, including: 

Compassionate leave, such as: 

• Bereavement 
• Pregnancy loss 

Emergency situations, for example: 

• A serious illness or injury affecting a dependant  
• Domestic emergency including emergencies at home (eg flooding) 
• Urgent non-medical appointments (eg legal matters) that can’t be managed through flexible study 

You can take up to five days of paid leave (shorter absences are usually expected to be managed through flexible study) 

You can take up to 10 days of paid leave in the following cases: 

• The death of a parent, child, or close relative  
• Pregnancy loss before 24 weeks (including if you are the mother/birth parent, partner, or expecting a child via surrogacy) 

There are occasions where you will need more than 10 days, you may be able to take medical leave or other types in leave in addition. 

Your funding period may be extended to reflect time taken as special leave. 

This applies if a baby is stillborn or born at or after 24 weeks of pregnancy and dies within the first year. 

You may be eligible if you are: 

• The birth parent 
• The partner or non-birth parent 

You will receive the same amount of family leave as you would have if the child had survived. If you’re already on family leave, this will continue unless you request to return to study early. Your funding period will be extended to cover this leave. 

There is also support available through the Student Counselling and Wellbeing service. 

If you’re caring for someone with a long-term care need (for example due to disability, old age, or a condition lasting more than three months), you may be eligible for: 

• Up to five days of paid carer’s leave per year. Your funding period may be extended to reflect this leave. 

You’re expected to cover your regular costs of caring responsibilities, including childcare, to enable you to engage with your programme. However, there may be occasions where you incur additional caring costs, and in some cases, you may be able to claim for these. 

For example, you might need to arrange extra care to attend research-related activities that fall outside your usual working hours or routine. 

To check whether you're eligible to claim, please contact your Graduate School team in advance.

If there’s a delay in putting reasonable adjustments in place, such as access to labs, specialist equipment, or other essential resources, you may be eligible for additional disability leave.  

Wherever possible, your school will work with you to find alternative research activities you can do while your adjustments are arranged. 

However, if the delay in putting adjustments in place completely prevents you from making progress on your research, and no suitable alternatives can be found, you may be eligible for a short period of additional funded leave. 

• The delay must last more than five days. 
• The maximum additional paid leave available under this policy is four weeks. 
• If this leave is approved, you must not continue working on your research project during this time. 

If you have delayed disability adjustments, please speak to your Graduate School team who can talk to you about your options. 

If you're unable to study due to a health and safety issue (such as building access restrictions): 

• If the disruption lasts between five days and four weeks, your funding may be extended for up to four weeks. 
• The situation should be regularly reviewed to explore whether new mitigations could allow you to return to study. 
• Where possible, your school will work with you to identify alternative study activities during this time. 

If you have a health and safety disruption, please speak to your Graduate School team about your options.

If you’re called for jury service or need time off for other public duties, you may be granted leave, and your funding period can be extended to reflect the time away from your research.

Please speak to your Graduate School team about your options.