Additional Closure Days 2021
Additional Closure Days 2021
We are pleased to confirm that Queen Mary is extending the closure period over the Christmas and New Year period This year, we will have two additional closure days, which means that the University will close at the end of the day on 21st December 2021 and will re-open on 4th January 2022. Next year, we will return to the normal closure arrangements.
We will have some students who continue to live in our residences over the Christmas period, and there will be students living locally who want to use our facilities. In addition, there will be critical research experiments that need to continue. Some staff may therefore need to work through the closure period.
The HR team has compiled a set of questions and answers below to help answer any questions that you may have in relation to the additional closure days. Should you have any further questions, please contact the HR Partnering Team. http://hr.qmul.ac.uk/contact/whoswho/
Questions and Answers
I have already booked annual leave for the period 22nd and 23rd December can I claim back my annual leave?
You can cancel any days which you have previously booked as annual leave on 22nd and 23rd December. These two days are now additional closure days to extend the Christmas and New Year closure period. If you have already booked any of these days off, please cancel them on MyHR.
Any leave recouped should be used before the end of the current leave year, July 2022.
For staff that work in areas that remain open for essential support services for example, If you were not expecting to work on these dates, e.g. due to leave previously approved by your manager, you will not be expected to come into work.
Can I come into work on 22nd and 23rd December and take the additional closure days off at another time?
The additional closure days have been given as a one-off to be used specifically to extend the Christmas and New Year closure period.
The purpose of the additional closure days is to enable staff to rest and recuperate, in recognition of the unprecedented circumstances of this year.
My role requires that I attend campus to work over the usual University closure days. Will I be required to work over the additional closure days?
If you are required to come to campus to work over the usual University Christmas and New Year closure period as a requirement of your role, then it is likely that you will also be required to work over the additional closure period. You should liaise with your line manager to find out if this will be the case.
If I am required to work during the additional closure period, will I receive an enhanced payment and will I be able to claim time back in lieu?
All staff who are required to work during the additional and usual Christmas and New Year closure period will receive enhanced pay if they typically receive enhanced pay on a closure day.
For those staff who are required to work on 22nd and 23rd December 2021, in addition to enhanced pay (where applicable), staff will receive a day back in lieu at plain time for the days that they have been required to work.
It is the University’s intention that all staff should have the opportunity to rest and recuperate and this intention extends to those who may be required to work during the closure period. Staff should liaise with their line manager to arrange a suitable time to take time off for the days that they have worked during the extended closure period.
My role requires that I come onto campus for a few hours a day throughout the extended closure period to ensure the continuity of research. Will I be able to have this time back in lieu?
Staff who are required to come onto campus for a few hours each day over the extended Christmas and New Year closure period to ensure the continuity of research should liaise with their managers in advance of the closure period to agree the number of hours that they are required to work. Relevant health and safety and lone working protocols/SOPs will continue to apply. Information on safe lone working can be found here
The School/Institute/Department’s normal practice for recognising attendance during the usual Christmas and New Year closure period will apply, to ensure the continuity of research.
Staff who are required to come to work over the additional closure period (22nd and 23rd December) will receive the hours back in lieu at plain time. In circumstances where enhanced pay is also applicable to the hours worked, this will be applied.
I am a clinical consultant and I may be required to work over the additional and usual Christmas and New Year closure period. Will I be entitled to take time back in lieu?
A School's or Institute’s usual practice would apply when managing the requirement for clinical consultants to work during the usual Christmas and New Year closure period. If you are required to work over the additional two-day closure period, then you would also be entitled to receive time back in lieu.
I work part time. Am I entitled to the additional closure days?
The 22nd and 23rd of December fall on a Wednesday and a Thursday. If any of these are days that you would normally work as your part time days per week, you will be entitled to these additional closure day/s, and they are taken on the date of the extended closure.
As 22nd and 23rd December are exceptional additional closure, part time staff who do not work on these days would not receive additional time back at another time.
