3. An employee is entitled to two career breaks within a 10 year period, however these cannot be two 5 year career breaks.

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1 1. The Career Break Scheme allows employees to take time away and later return to HEFCW. This is discretionary and it will be approved in line with business need. It cannot be used to take up employment with another external employer or to become self-employed. Conditions of Unpaid Leave via Career Break 2. A career break is unpaid. It may be granted for a minimum term of three months up to a maximum of five years for each occasion but must be for an agreed period. The length of the career break cannot exceed the duration of any existing contract of employment. An employee must have completed one year s satisfactory continuous service before applying for a career break. 3. An employee is entitled to two career breaks within a 10 year period, however these cannot be two 5 year career breaks. 4. HEFCW reserve the right to alter contracts of employment whilst an individual is on a career break. 5. Alternative arrangements can be considered if the career break is not granted, for example flexible working patterns, short term special leave etc. 6. Applications should be made with a minimum of three months notice prior to the commencement of the career break. 7. Employees on career breaks will be asked to confirm their commitment to the scheme and its terms and conditions, including keeping in touch arrangements. HEFCW will confirm the continuity of the arrangements on an annual basis. 8. Wherever possible employees will return to a job at the same or equivalent grade to the one they held before the career break. 9. If an employee on a career break does not contact HEFCW, or respond to communications from HEFCW during any period of 12 months, HEFCW will take appropriate steps to terminate the career break arrangements. 10. An employee is entitled to start a career break directly following annual leave, maternity, paternity, parental, foster or adoptive leave. In these circumstances the employee may take the full entitlement of the relevant policy, followed by up to five years unpaid leave. 11. An employee may also start a career break directly following sickness absence. 12. If a career break follows maternity leave, repayments will only be required should the individual not return to work for a minimum period of one month continuous service following the career break. 13. A career break will not count as effective service for the purpose of performance increments, pensions, sick absence and annual leave. A stop the clock principle is operated which means that unpaid leave does not accrue benefits, but those already Page 1 of 7 Version: 4.0

2 accrued are preserved and only built upon when the individual returns to paid employment. 14. Where an employee takes a career break part way through a performance year, a break report must be completed. This will result in a performance rating at the end of the year. The employee is entitled to an incremental increase dependant on the rating. This would apply on their return to work. 15. Career break absences do not accrue pensionable benefits. For employees with at least two years qualifying service the pension rights will be preserved for the time accrued up to the point at which unpaid leave begins. Employees with less than two years qualifying service are advised to consult MyCSP about their pension entitlements. Options for pension arrangements should be discussed with MyCSP. 16. Employees on a career break are not eligible for any periods of occupational or statutory paid leave as defined by each policy. 17. There will be no entitlements to sick pay whilst on a career break. Employees who have exhausted this maximum paid sickness absence before taking a career break would be at the same point of entitlement on return. The career break does not form part of the four year accrual period. 18. There will be no entitlement to annual leave whilst on a career break. Annual leave will be pro-rata from 1 April to their final working date before the commencement of the career break. Any annual leave owing to an employee must be taken before commencement of the career break; there will be no payment in lieu for any leave outstanding. Where an excess of annual leave has been taken this will be recovered via a salary adjustment in the final pay prior to the career break. 19. Career break absences do not count as qualifying service for the higher annual leave allowance. Service already accrued is preserved and only built upon when the individual returns to paid employment. 20. Employees on a career break are eligible to apply for any vacant posts advertised, while they are absent, and will normally be required to return from their career break to take up the post. Application process for a career break 21. Employees must complete a Career Break Application form following discussions with their Line Manager and/or Head of Team/ Director. 22. The application must be submitted to Management Board to consider whether the request can be accommodated, taking into account costs, impacts to the team and overall business need. 23. If the application is approved, the agreed terms of the career break will be confirmed in writing by HR. The employee will be required to agree to all the terms and conditions governing the scheme. If the application is unsuccessful, the employee will be advised of the reasons for its refusal. Page 2 of 7 Version: 4.0

3 24. Where a request has been refused for the employee to take a career break, the employee has the right of appeal in line with HEFCW s Grievance procedure. The outcome of the appeal is final. Keeping-in-touch arrangements 25. HR will monitor that contact is maintained between Line Managers and employees. General enquiries should be made to HR. HEFCW reserve the right to contact the employee during the career break by , phone or post as appropriate. 26. During the course of the career break, employees must let HEFCW know of any changes in their circumstances, including address, home address, telephone number, and any personal arrangements that would affect the operation of the scheme. 27. Notices and any publications issued to employees, along with details of vacancies or any other major changes in the organisation will be sent via . The HR Manager will check for relevant s on a weekly basis and forward those of importance to the employee once a week. 28. During the career break work experience and training can be provided to help employees to maintain their skills levels and confidence, which is voluntary. Employees who undertake work experience or training, will be paid the relevant salary. Returning to work 29. It would normally be expected that an employee on career break would return to the post they vacated on taking up the career break. 30. Any vacancy created as a result of a career break will normally be filled on a fixed term or secondment basis. 31. Should it not been possible to fill the vacancy created on a fixed term or secondment basis, and therefore the post has been filled on a permanent basis; or an organisational restructure take place whereby the post no longer exists, the employee returning from a career break will be able to apply for vacant posts as an internal candidate. 32. HR will send details of all vacant posts as they arise. In such cases an actual date of return cannot be guaranteed and will depend on when a post is secured via the recruitment process. 33. If no vacancy exist at the end of the career break the Employee Surplus and Redundancy policy will apply. 34. NB. All timescales below will be adjusted according to the length of the career break. 35. HR will write to the employee approximately six months before their career break is due to end to enquire about their return to work, and the participant will be asked to Page 3 of 7 Version: 4.0

4 confirm their intention to return to work, in writing, at least three months in advance of their due date of return. 36. Participants who wish to return to work earlier than the date agreed must provide three months notice before the new date of return. Participants who wish to delay their return to work date must submit their request at least three months in advance of the original date of return. Every effort will be made to accommodate the revised requested date of return, subject to operational requirements and provided that the revised period of the career break does not exceed the maximum period of five years. 37. Flexible working arrangements may be requested to ease the transition back to work and the participant may request to return to work on a part-time basis, with salary adjusted accordingly. The granting of such requests will be considered and cannot be guaranteed but will not be unreasonably refused. 38. On return to work in the same post, the employee will be placed on the pay step they were on prior to undertaking the career break. A step increase would be due where a minimum of 6 months of work has been undertaken within the performance year before the start of the career break. 39. Where the work undertaken in the performance year is less than 6 months, a step increase would not be applied, and the employee would remain on the pay step that they were on when they started the career break. 40. Where an employee returns to work in the following circumstances, alternative pay steps would apply in line with the Pay and Grading policy: An employee returns to a higher graded post or their original post has been upgraded; An employee returns to their original post which has been downgraded due to job levelling; or An employee returns to a new post at a lower grade. 41. On return to work, the period of continuous service completed by an employee prior to the start of the career break will count for the calculation of leave entitlements and pension benefits. Version Date Description 0.1 Sept 03 Rejected by HRC /03/2006 Submitted to HRC /07/2006 Submitted to Works Council rejected 5yrs & no resignation /10/2006 Approved at Management Board 5yrs & no resignation /10/2006 HRC agreed 5 yrs & no resignation 2.0 Feb 08 Policy updated to reflect OD, style guide and EIA /11/09 Policy amended and agreed with Policy Changes Group to clarify time limit between special leave and career breaks /09/11 Policy amended following EIA 3.0 August 14 Updated in line with policy review project 3.1 Oct 14 Amended following Management Board Sept Nov 14 Approved at Works Council following staff consultation Page 4 of 7 Version: 4.0

5 3.3 March 15 Approved at HR Committee 3.4 Aug 15 Impact Assessment 4.0 Oct 15 Minor amendments following Impact Assessment Page 5 of 7 Version: 4.0

6 Career Break Application Form Name: Reason for Career Break: (delete as appropriate*) Date of application: *Undertake voluntary work *Undertake a period of training/further education /personal development *Travel *Domestic responsibilities such as the care of dependants To be completed by employee: Career break dates requested: From: To: Circumstances relating to the request Please provide appropriate documentation to accompany your career break application including details of: voluntary work; training/education course; personal development opportunity; travel arrangements; caring responsibilities; and a statement of benefits HEFCW is likely to achieve as a result of approval of the application. Where the details are not yet available, please provide an explanation to evidence the request below. (Employee) Line manager comments Keeping in touch arrangements. (Line manager) Page 6 of 7 Version: 4.0

7 To be completed by Head of Team/ Director/ CEO: Please note: The impact on business need The proposed cover arrangements/ recruitment required Cost implications of this proposal Recommendation to approve or reject to Management Board (Head of Team/ Director/ CEO) To be completed by Head of Corporate Services following consultation with Management Board: Career Break Approved Career Break Rejected Please note arrangements that differ from those outlined by the Head of Team/ Director/ CEO (Head of Corporate Services on behalf of Management Board) HR Completion - Keeping in touch arrangements address Address for post during career break Contact telephone number during career break Agreed date to make contact prior to return to work. HR Checklist Letter to employee Annual leave amended Passed to payroll Return to work contact date recorded Page 7 of 7 Version: 4.0