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Department of Oncology

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Applying for Leave

This section contains information about both departmental and University wide policies and procedures for various types of staff leave:

Departmental Policies, Procedures and Forms

Annual leave

The department abides by the University's Leave Policy (see University's Policies, Procedures and Forms above).

Your annual leave allowance will be stated in your contract of employment with the Department of Oncology. If you wish to take annual leave, you will need to obtain approval from your line manager, i.e complete our departmental Annual Leave Request Form and return it to our HR Assistant: 

Dependent Leave

From 01 October 2019, the University introduced Dependent’s Leave for all staff.  This is paid leave to allow staff to deal with an unforeseen emergency involving a dependent.

Who is a dependent?

A ‘dependant’ is defined under this policy as an employee's spouse, civil partner, child (biological, adopted or fostered or for whom the member of staff has a legitimate responsibility), parent or someone who lives with the member of staff as part of their family (but is not a lodger or boarder).

A ‘dependent’ may also be someone who does not necessarily live at the same address as the member of staff, but reasonably relies on them for assistance.  Assistance includes arranging provision of care if the dependent falls ill, gives birth, or is injured. Also, it includes situations where care arrangements break down unexpectedly. This may be where the member of staff is the primary carer or the only person who can help in an emergency, for example being a registered carer.

How much Dependent Leave is available? 

Under these provisions staff are entitled to 5 working days paid leave in total, in any rolling 12-month period, with a limit of 2 working days’ Dependent Leave permitted on any single occasion.

This entitlement will be pro-rata for part-time staff.

The University anticipates that in the majority of cases 1 or 2 days of Dependent Leave on any one occasion will be sufficient to deal with the emergency.  Where there are longer term care requirements, it may be more appropriate to request annual leave, parental leave or flexible working, as appropriate.

If it is known in advance that you will need time off (for example to take a dependent to a hospital appointment), then you should speak to your Line Manager about the possibility of taking such time as part of your annual leave entitlement.  Dependent Leave is only permitted for unforeseen emergencies.

Procedure for taking Dependent Leave

If you cannot attend work due to an unforeseen emergency involving a dependent, please notify your Line Manager of your absence, as soon as possible on that day. On your return to work, please complete a Special Leave Form (CHRIS/68) - completed forms should be emailed to Helen our Departmental HR Adviser Helen Shackleton at 

Does the introduction of Dependent Leave affect the current unpaid Emergency Leave provisions?

No, the current provisions for Emergency Leave are unaffected.  In addition to the provision for unforeseen emergencies involving dependents as outlined above, unpaid emergency Leave for up to 1 day, can be taken for unexpected domestic emergencies.

Does this change affect the current Compassionate Leave arrangements?

No, the current separate provisions for Compassionate Leave remain unaltered.

Sickness absence

The department abides by the University's Sickness Absence Policy (see University's Policies, Procedures and Forms below). If you are ill and cannot attend work you should notify your line manager of your absence by telephone as soon as possible on the first day of absence and before the start of your normal working day. The following details should be provided:

  • The nature of the illness or injury;
  • The expected approximate length of absence from work;
  • Contact details;
  • Whether the absence may be due to an injury at work or otherwise perceived to be related to work; and
  • Any outstanding or urgent work that requires attention.

All sickness absences (including if you become ill with coronavirus),  should be reported as follows:

  • On the first day of your illness, contact your Line Manager to let them know you are ill and unfit for work; please tell your Line Manager if you think you may have  coronavirus.
  • Sickness absences of up to 7 calendar days can be self-certified. On your return to work, please complete a CHRIS/62 form and email it to our Departmental HR Adviser .
  • Sickness absences of 8 days or more require a Statement of Fitness for work  (‘Fit Note’) from your GP. Please email a copy of your Fit Note to ; if you don’t have access to a scanner, we will accept a photographed copy taken on your mobile phone. If you are unable to obtain a Fit Note due to the Covid-19 pandemic, please contact as soon as possible. 
  • Please email  to let her know when you are fit to return to work.

All other leave

You should contact our Business & Operations Manager as soon as possible if you are considering taking any other type of leave (see University's Policies, Procedures and Forms below).

Recording leave

The Business & Operations Manager keeps a centralised record of your leave for each academic year. We advise that you also keep a record of your leave using the following template:

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University Policies, Procedures and Forms

The University's Human Resources website contains information about the types of leave staff can take:

University policies and procedures for leave: http://www.hr.admin.cam.ac.uk/policies-procedures

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