At Imperial, we appreciate that there may be times when as a parent you need to take leave at short notice to deal with an emergency.  To cover such occurances we have built provision into our Special Leave Policy for family emergencies, parental leave and domestic emergencies (eligibility criteria applies).  Please refer to our Special Leave Policy for further details and to see the amount of leave available.

Family Emergency

What is a family emergency?

Members of staff can take reasonable time off work to deal with an emergency that involves a dependant. Paid leave of up to three days in a 12 month period can be taken to deal with these emergencies.

Who is considered to be a dependant?

A dependant may be a partner, child or parent or someone who lives with you as part of your family.

In some cases they may also be someone who doesn't live with you but relies on you for assistance or where you are their primary carer.

What would be considered a family emergency?

Some examples of a family emergency are:

• An unexpected breakdown in childcare arrangments
• An unexpected incident involving your child during school hours, e.g. if they are sent home from school

Please be aware that if you know in advance of the issue, it will not be considered a family emergency and therefore emergency leave does not apply.

Domestic Emergencies

What is a domestic emergency?

Some examples of a domestic emergency are:

• Burglary
• Vehicle theft or accident
• Emergency repairs to avoid fire or flooding

How much leave can I take?

Leave is limited to a maximum of one day in any 12 month period.