POLICY
Protest leave
A policy that allows employees to take "protest leave" to participate in demonstrations or civil action related to major political issues, without it counting against their holiday or sick leave, as long as it doesn't interfere with time-critical projects and is approved by their manager.
Policy
Adopted: 23/03/2021
Overview
Open City is committed to supporting our staff in their work and recognises that this responsibility extends to times when major political issues risk undermining staff wellbeing. We understand that the weight of significant global and local issues can, at times, have a negative impact on people’s wellbeing and mental health. As an organisation constantly engaging with social and ethical issues through our work, we encourage all our staff to take an active interest in current affairs including challenging ones. However, we also understand that upsetting incidents amplified by the 24 hour news cycle can be stressful and, at times, feel overwhelming.
Detail
Open City believes that civil action, including protest and other forms of campaigning, is an important civic right aligned with the charity’s values, and can also be a good way to reconnect with like-minded communities and take positive action at times of challenging political developments. The charity, therefore, offers all employees ‘protest leave’ to support individuals who are feeling the strain of difficult political issues and want to take time off to participate in demonstrations or civil action.
- Protest leave can be taken with advance or short notice provided it does not derail time-critical projects and is cleared with appropriate line managers.
- Protest leave does not count against holiday or sick leave.
- Staff are not obliged to tell their line managers the actions they are undertaking while on protest leave, however, protest leave may not be used for party political campaigning such as canvassing or leafleting which would be against Open City’s obligations as a registered charity.
- Protest leave may be used for attending marches, campaign events and demonstrations not affiliated with a political party.
Questions
If staff have questions about taking protest leave, they should speak to their line manager or the chief executive of Open City.
Comment on our forum: community.radhr.org