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King's College London

At King's we aim to provide a supportive working environment to help you achieve a balance between your personal and professional lives.

Researchers and professional services staff are contracted to work 35 hours per week. The hours for academic staff are unfixed, although standard working hours for full-time academic staff are an indicative 35 hours per week. All non-clinical staff receive 27 days' annual leave, plus public holidays, pro-rated for part-time staff. King’s also normally grants four concessionary days during the Christmas period.

Flexible working

We recognise that flexible working can support people in managing their professional and personal lives. All our staff may ask to work flexibly and we are committed to considering your requests. The choices include part-time working, job sharing, working from home, career breaks, unpaid leave and flexible working hours.

Leave

Academic study and research leave

Eligible academics can apply for leave of absence for approved academic purposes. Such academic study and research leave may be paid or unpaid, for short or extended periods of time, and may include secondments to other institutions.

Family friendly leave

Enhanced and statutory leave arrangements are available to staff with caring and/or childcare responsibilities. Our family-friendly policies cover maternity, paternity, adoption, surrogacy, parental leave, shared parental leave and career breaks.

  • Adoption and surrogacy leave. Eligible staff are entitled to 52 weeks’ adoption leave including 18 weeks’ leave at full pay, 21 weeks statutory pay and 13 weeks’ unpaid leave. Surrogacy leave and pay is in line with our adoption or maternity policies, or paternity/partner’s policies, as applicable.

  • Career break. Staff can apply for an unpaid career break of up to a year.

  • Dependant’s leave. This is for immediate, limited time off to deal with unexpected emergencies.

  • Maternity and paternity leave. Eligible staff are entitled to 52 weeks’ maternity leave including 18 weeks’ leave at full pay, 21 weeks statutory pay and 13 weeks’ unpaid leave. Paternity or partner’s leave is available to eligible staff of any gender identity at full pay for up to two weeks.

  • Parental leave. Unpaid parental leave is available for eligible staff, allowing up to 18 weeks leave (a maximum of four weeks a year for each child) up to the child’s 18th birthday.

  • Shared parental leave. Shared parental leave is available to mothers, main adopters or partners. Eligible mothers/main adopters can share up to 50 weeks’ shared parental leave with their partner, of any gender identity, in the first year following the child’s birth or adoption. This leave includes 16 weeks’ leave at full pay, 21 weeks at the statutory rate and 13 weeks’ unpaid leave. Where both parents and King’s staff and eligible for occupational shared parental pay, we will provide up to 16 weeks’ leave for both parents, for the sharing of up to 5 weeks at the statutory rate and 13 week’s unpaid leave.

Service time: leave for volunteering

King’s staff can spend up to three days per year doing voluntary work for another organisation or volunteering scheme. The time you can take to volunteer is pro-rated for part-time staff. This service time is paid and part of our commitment to support and enable colleagues to undertake community activity beyond the university. Find out more about Service at King’s.

Further resources

The Employment Assistance Programme is a free support service available to all King’s staff and their immediate family members – for example you can receive life coaching and advice on how to balance your personal and work life.

More Staff Benefits