The most important reason to regularly take leave is for your wellbeing.  This is encouraged by UC, the TEU and me.  I am aware that COVID has disrupted plans to take leave this year especially if it involved international travel.   This is the year to see New Zealand, take those extra few days to visit those places you have not been for a while (put some suggestions of your favourite places in the comments).

Over a third of our staff have excess leave at the moment as it has been harder to take leave over Easter.   Excess leave is leave greater than your annual allocation as at 31 December, for example if you normally have five weeks leave and work full time you can carry over 187.5 hours of current leave.  The normal expectation remains that all excess leave is taken before 31 December unless there is a really good reason.   If you are unsure if you will have excess leave by 31 December ask your manager.

There is also a financial reason to take leave.   The UC budget will be tight in 2021 and 2022.   Outstanding leave is a cost to the university that has to be accounted for in the budget.   The higher the budget deficit expected in 2021 the more likely we will have a staffing challenge.   With the current pressure on the university finances the best thing staff can do to help is to plan to take leave and get the leave approved in PeopleSoft.

Please discuss your leave plans with your manager.   If you have excess leave please decide when you wish to take this leave and put it in PeopleSoft before 30 June. Remember you can always change you mind if circumstances change as long as you have taken any excess leave before the end of the year.

Ngā mihi, Anne