Sabbatical Leave

1. Introduction

The School fully appreciates and upholds the value of sabbatical leave for individual career development, and as a consequence for the enhancement of its academic reputation. To that end it has established the following regulations to ensure that individuals' exercise of that right benefits the academic community as a whole.

The general purpose of sabbatical leave is to enable members of the teaching staff to pursue research, to undertake preparation of new courses and to retrain in fresh areas of academic activity.  Sabbatical leave may be used for travel in connection with the purposes for which it has been granted. The purposes of sabbatical leave do not normally include enabling members of the teaching staff to accept a teaching engagement in term-time at another University, or to engage in other remunerative employment.  While members of the teaching staff are not precluded from accepting a commission to give during sabbatical leave one or two special lectures or to do occasional writing (apart from normal work), they will be required to obtain the permission of the Council before accepting any paid employment or undertaking any substantial amount of paid work.

Staff applying for sabbatical leave are required to state in the application for leave for purpose(s) for which the leave will be used.  This may be a specific programme of work (e.g. completion of a book) or more general programme of reading or study to be undertaken during the proposed period of leave. Whilst on sabbatical leave staff are relieved from their normal departmental teaching and administrative duties.  The grant of sabbatical leave will in general be without reduction of salary or allowances.

By custom consideration of sabbatical leave applications has been delegated by the Council to the Director of the School.  All members of staff applying for sabbatical leave will receive confirmation in writing that the leave has been approved.

2. Notice Period and Timing of Leave

Heads of Department are expected to ensure that the number of staff absent on academic leave does not exceed what is appropriate to the Department's size and needs and that the entitlement to Sabbatical Leave is given precedence over other types of absence.

To aid Heads of Department with planning ahead and to integrate requests for sabbatical leave and buy-out, it is recommended that members of academic staff should normally give at least 12 months' notice to their Head of Department of their intention to apply for sabbatical leave - i.e. 12 months' notice in advance of the beginning of the academic session in which the leave will occur, not the date of commencement of the leave itself.  Staff should comply with any departmental deadlines for leave applications that may be in place. 

The precise timing of sabbatical leave depends on the possibility of making satisfactory arrangements for the work of staff on sabbatical leave to be carried on by their colleagues as part of their work in the School.  It is generally expected that colleagues will cover the duties of staff on sabbatical leave but it is accepted that the expertise of the member on leave will not necessarily be replicated within the department and that in these circumstances replacement expertise will have to be bought in.  In these circumstances the Head of Department may request allocation of replacement teaching funds.

The guidelines on Replacement Teaching Compensation published on the Human Resources website set out the exceptional circumstances in which a limited amount of temporary teaching cover may be available to cover a period of sabbatical leave.  In cases where approval of a sabbatical leave application will necessitate a request for temporary teaching cover, Heads of Department should make a case in writing, together with a full breakdown of estimated costs, and send it to Dominic Smith, Human Resources, for referral to the Pro Director Planning and Resources. Heads are advised to await the decision of the Pro Director before approving the leave application to ensure that funds will be available.  Funds will be released to the Department at the beginning of the session in which the sabbatical leave is to be taken.  Replacement teaching allocations do not appear on the MSL/1. Allocations appear as a cash transfer to departmental replacement teaching accounts.

The rate normally payable for a member of staff on sabbatical leave is £3,000 per term of sabbatical leave.  Heads of Department should note that requests for replacement teaching compensation for staff on sabbatical leave are not expected to provide for replacement of salary costs for the member of staff on leave on a like-for-like basis.

3. Duration of Leave Periods

A term's leave is for four months and a year's leave is for twelve months.

Leave start dates are fixed as follows:

• 1st January
• First day of the Summer Term
• 1st September or the beginning of the Michaelmas Term

A year's leave starts and finishes on one of the above dates.

Member's of staff taking a year's leave usually commence their leave at the start of the session. This is intended to enable Heads of Department to ensure that, during the Summer vacation, particularly in that period immediately prior to the beginning of term, staff are available to carry out essential departmental duties.  A year's leave is usually defined as commencing on 1 October of year 'x' and ending on 30 September of year 'x +1'.

4. Application Process

Applications for sabbatical leave are made on the appropriate form through the Head of Department not less than nine months before the date on which the leave, if granted, will take effect. In considering an application for sabbatical leave, the Director will take into account:

All staff granted sabbatical leave after 1 October 1993 will be required after the period of leave to make a brief report on the work/study undertaken during the period of leave, indicating the benefits which have accrued. This report will be kept on the individual's personal file in Personnel Division for reference by the Director when considering future applications for sabbatical leave.

5. Calculation of Sabbatical Leave Entitlement

Entitlement to a period of sabbatical leave is calculated on the basis of countable service.  Members of academic staff wishing to apply for sabbatical leave should first ensure that they have accrued enough service credit for the intended leave.  Human Resources can provide a calculation of sabbatical entitlement.  Please contact your HR Adviser key contacts.

Since 30 September 1978 there have been three revisions of School Regulations for Sabbatical Leave.

The current regulations for countable service came into effect from 1 October 2001 (see d. below) and are not retrospective.  Staff may have accrued sabbatical entitlement under c) and d).

a. Pre - 1 October 1978

Countable Service	Sabbatical Leave
21 terms (7 years)	1 term leave
36 terms (12 years)	2 consecutive terms of leave
45 terms (15 years)	3 consecutive terms of leave

b. 1 October 1978 - 30 September 1988

Countable Service	Sabbatical Leave
12 terms (4 years)	1 term leave
21 terms (7 years)	2 consecutive terms of leave
30 terms (10 years)	3 consecutive terms of leave

c. 1 October 1988 - 30 September 2001

Countable Service	Sabbatical Leave
9 terms (3 years)	1 term leave
18 terms (6 years)	2 consecutive terms of leave
27 terms (9 years)	3 consecutive terms of leave

d. 1 October 2001 to present

Countable Service	Sabbatical Leave
8 terms   (2 years; 2 terms)	1 term leave
16 terms (5 Years; 1 term)	2 consecutive terms of leave
21 terms (7 years)	3 consecutive terms of leave

Countable Service

• Time spent on sabbatical leave, buy-out, secondment, short/travel leave is disregarded in computing sabbatical leave entitlement.
• Periods of sickness absence will normally be disregarded in computing sabbatical leave entitlement; individual circumstances may be considered on a case-by-case basis. 
• Time spent on maternity leave does count towards sabbatical entitlement. 

Accrual of Service: Part-Time Staff

Part time members of staff wishing to apply for sabbatical leave need to accrue the same amount of service as full time members of staff.  For example, an individual employed on a 0.5FTE contract would need 8 terms of 0.5FTE service in order to apply for 1 term of sabbatical leave. The sabbatical leave would apply to the 0.5FTE appointment with the School. 

Enhancement of Sabbatical Entitlement

There are various circumstances in which staff can accrue additional sabbatical entitlement.  This additional service credit is added to the normal service accrued by the member of staff.

1. Promotion To Reader (if in post pre-1 October 1988)
   Members of staff who were employed by the School before 1 October 1988 are awarded an extra term of sabbatical leave (i.e. 8 terms' service credit) upon promotion to Reader.
2. APRC Membership
   APRC members who have served their full three year term are entitled to an extra term of sabbatical leave (i.e. 8 terms' service credit.) There is no additional entitlement for longer terms of office.
3. Promotions Committee Membership (introduced with effect from the 2008-2009 session)
   A two year term on the Committee counts as four years for the purposes of calculating sabbatical entitlement.
4. Academic Office Holding
   Certain academic offices carry enhanced sabbatical leave entitlement. 

Academic Office	Sabbatical Entitlement
Pro Directors	Triple Entitlement: A three year period in office counts as nine years.
Vice Chair of Academic Board	Triple Entitlement: A three year period in office counts as nine years.
Vice Chair of Appointments Committee	Triple Entitlement: A three year period in office counts as nine years.
Heads of Department	Triple Entitlement: A three year period in office counts as nine years.
Dean of Undergraduate Studies	Double Entitlement: A three year period in office counts as six years.
Dean of Graduate Studies	Double Entitlement.  A three year period in office counts as six years.
Chair, Undergraduate Studies Sub-Committee	Double Entitlement.  A three year period in office counts as six years.
Chair, Graduate Studies Sub-Committee	Double Entitlement.  A three year period in office counts as six years.
Chair, Research Degrees Sub-Committee	Double Entitlement.  A three year period in office counts as six years.
Associate Dean for the General Course	Double Entitlement. A three year period in office counts as six years.

Where an individual applying for leave is an academic office holder or member of a School Committee and the leave falls within the term of office/membership, the member of staff must be asked how these School duties will be covered during the leave. The application should not be processed until this question is answered satisfactorily.

6. Previous Service at LSE

Previous School service is counted on a year-by-year basis and the value of the service will be according to the regulations for countable service in place when the service was accrued.

Previous service at the LSE can also be taken into account when calculating sabbatical leave. In this case any School service unused for Sabbatical purposes is added to current service for calculating entitlement to sabbatical leave. Previous School service is counted on a year-by-year basis and the value of the service accords to the rate current when the service was accrued.

 Thus if an individual served as a Lecturer at the School from 1985 to 1988, and took no leave and then rejoined LSE academic staff from 1 October 1993, this would be taken into account. Time spent as a temporary lecturer (or Senior Lecturer or Reader or Professor) counts as normal School service for sabbatical purposes if the temporary employee is subsequently appointed to a career track/indefinite appointment.

Time spent as a Temporary Lecturer (or Senior Lecturer or Reader or Professor) counts as normal School service for sabbatical purposes if the temporary employee is subsequently appointed to a career track/indefinite appointment.  In this case, the service accrued during the temporary appointment is added to the current service. 

In exceptional cases time spent at the LSE as a student may be counted as service for sabbatical purposes. However, this is at the discretion of the Director.

Previous service as a member of research staff or an LSE Fellow does not count towards sabbatical entitlement. 

7. Carry Forward of Service from Another Institution to LSE

1. Individuals should be informed that the School allows carry forward of service from an institution immediately preceding service with the School at the point at which an offer is made.
2. The Head of Department (or appropriate School officer making the offer) should ascertain whether the appointee has service which they wish to carry forward to LSE and if so, the amount. If someone other than the Head of Department makes the offer, the Head of Department should be consulted before any agreement regarding carry forward of service is confirmed to the successful candidate.
3. The amount of any service to be carried forward to LSE should be entered on to the RF9 (Request to Appoint Form) so that it may be included in the formal contract letter. Recruitment will be responsible for checking that the sabbatical issue has been raised with the successful candidate and that the relevant information is recorded on the RF9 and contract letter.

The normal expectation will continue to be that service in another university or college immediately preceding service with the School will be taken into account in computing the period of service required as qualification for sabbatical leave, and that not less than half the qualifying service required in any instance shall have been served at the School. Service in another university will continue to be used as a top up device and will not be counted on a year for year basis.

However, in exceptional cases and subject to the agreement of the relevant Head of Department, the Vice Chair of Appointments Committee may agree that for Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/ Reader appointments,

•  sabbatical entitlement will be honoured on a like for like basis,
•  that entitlement to a sabbatical term(s) from the previous institution will be honoured, or,
• that a sabbatical may be taken sooner than the regulation regarding qualifying service prescribes.

Where the above applies to a professorial appointment, the Director will agree terms subject to the agreement of the relevant Head of Department.

8. Anticipate Service (Mortgaging)

It is possible to anticipate School service. On the whole the School is not in favour of anticipated service in case the individual should leave the School before the "mortgage" is paid off.

It is possible to anticipate School service. On the whole, the School is not in favour of anticipated service in case the individual should leave the School before the "mortgage" is paid off.

Again, the Head of Department must indicate on the Sabbatical Leave application form that they are content for the leave to be taken early. The letter from the Director should refer to the anticipated service.

9. Stoppage of Service Clock

Staff are not allowed to carry forward service in excess of that required for three terms' leave (21 terms). Once this has happened no further service can be accrued until some leave has been taken.

Unused service accrued before 1 October 1988 can be carried forward indefinitely. and without penalty If an application is received for two terms Sabbatical from an individual who has seven years of pre - 1 October 1988 unused service and nine years of post - 1 October 1988 service, the leave should be paid for from post - 1 October 1988 service.

Stoppage of the service clock is waived where an individual has accrued an entitlement to three terms' leave from post - 1 October 1988 service but is unable to take leave because of departmental and/or School considerations.

This will normally arise where the individual's entitlement has accrued largely through academic office holding which carries enhanced sabbatical entitlement.

10. Sabbatical Leave Prior to Retirement

An application for a period of sabbatical leave which falls in the final year of service should not in itself be a reason for refusing the leave.

11. Sabbatical Leave Report

All staff granted sabbatical leave after 1 October 1993 are required to make a brief report on the work/study undertaken during the period of leave, indicating the benefits which were gained.  This report will be kept on the individual's personal file in Human Resources for reference when considering future applications for sabbatical leave.  Reports should be submitted electronically to your HR Adviser key contacts.

12. Salary

The grant of sabbatical leave will in general be without reduction of salary or allowances.

13. Sabbatical Leave Declined

It is expected that, normally, a member of staff will be granted the sabbatical leave to which his/her service entitles him/her unless the Department and/or School has particularly strong reasons why it should not be granted at the time.

In cases where the Head of Department is unable to support the application for sabbatical leave, he/she should inform the member of staff of the reason(s) in writing. 

Heads of Department are also required to inform Human Resources in writing, with reasons, of any applications for sabbatical leave which they are unable to support.  The Director may ask the Vice Chair of Appointments Committee for advice in regard to particular cases.

14. Maximum Amount of Sabbatical Leave

The maximum amount of sabbatical that can be taken in one go is three terms.

15. Part-time Sabbatical Leave 

With the proliferation of Institutes/Research Centres/Units, there has grown up a practice whereby individuals can combine the Directorship of an organisational unit with a period of sabbatical leave.

Therefore, if a Director of a Research Centre applied for one terms sabbatical leave, they could take this as half-time over two terms in order to enable them to combine the leave with the Directorship of the Centre.

16. Replacement Teaching

It is generally expected that colleagues will cover the duties of staff on sabbatical leave but it is accepted that the expertise of the member on leave will not necessarily be replicated within the department and that in these circumstances replacement expertise will have to be bought in.

 In these circumstances the Head of Department may request an allowance in putting the leave application forward.

17. Commutation of Sabbatical Leave into Cash Payment

It is possible for Heads of Department to commute their additional sabbatical entitlement into a cash payment. The value of the cash payment will be £3,000 for each year of bonus service commuted.

This arrangement began in the 1997-1998 session and applies to all current Heads of Department. The costs (plus on costs) will be met from the Replacement Teaching Cash Budget. 

18. Application Process

Applications for sabbatical leave should be made on the Sabbatical Leave Application Form.  The form is available on the A-Z of documents, information and services.