All holiday leave entitlements are laid out in staff contracts of employment. Holiday entitlement will be pro-rated proportionally in line with individual working patterns.
All holiday requests must be approved by the Nursery Manager or Deputy Manager before the staff member makes any arrangements such as booking flights or tickets. A Holiday Request form must completed and forwarded to the Nursery Manager at least two weeks before the holiday starts.
Holiday may be booked at the discretion of the Nursery Manager based upon the staffing needs of the nursery. As a general policy, no more than one member of staff from the same room should be absent on the same day. However, all absence requests are subject to the discretion of the Nursery Management Team, who may approve exceptions where it is determined that staffing levels and the quality of care will not be adversely affected.
Holiday is booked on a first come-first served basis and at the discretion of the manager.
Any popular days (e.g. Christmas Eve or school holidays) will be allocated by the Nursery Management team. The decision of the Nursery Management team is final.
All holiday entitlement must be taken in full by 31st December. Holiday cannot be carried forward to the next year.
Hopscotch does not allow staff members to take unpaid leave in excess of their contractually agreed holiday entitlement, except in exceptional circumstances. Any request for unpaid leave must be put in writing to the Nursery Manager who will then discuss this with the company HR Manager.
All Occupational Sick Pay (OSP) entitlements are laid out in staff contracts of employment. OSP only applies once probation has been passed successfully.
Statutory Sick Pay is paid to employees who are unable to work because of sickness. SSP is paid by Hopscotch for up to a maximum of 28 weeks, provided employees meet the statutory eligibility requirements.
SSP is payable from the first day of sickness absence. You must notify your manager of your absence in line with the sickness reporting procedure. You may self-certify sickness for the first 7 days. A fit note from a GP or healthcare professional is required from day 8 onwards.
Sickness absence of one month or more is generally considered to be long-term absence. Staff members may be absent on long term sick leave for a variety of reasons (e.g., injury, operation, convalescence from illness, diagnosis of a long-term disability, terminal illness etc.) and any action taken will vary according to the circumstances of the particular case. Staff members on long-term leave have a responsibility to update their manager or senior manager regularly on their likely date of return to work.
The aim is to enable the staff member to return to work as soon as possible. They may also need to find out if any reasonable adjustments will need to be made to help the staff member back to work, for example, changing hours or shifts. It may be necessary to contact the staff member’s doctor to obtain a medical report to help with the process. A staff member’s consent must be obtained before the doctor is contacted. Employees have a right under the ‘Access to Medical Reports Act 1988’ to see their own medical report before it is given to the employer and to query items in it. In some cases an Occupational Health Assessment might be required. This will be undertaken by a suitable independent professional.
If the absence continues, then the staff member will be invited to a formal meeting to discuss their return to work and find out if any support is needed.
Formal Stage meetings will result in one of the following outcomes:
- That the employee’s long term or serious illness is not expected to have a detrimental effect on their ability to carry out their contracted job responsibilities and that no further action is required under the Formal Stage of this policy at this time
- That the employee’s long term or serious illness can, for the foreseeable future, be effectively supported by the company with or without reasonable adjustments to the existing working environment or job and the matter will remain under the review of this policy to ensure that the employee continues to be effectively supported and that the job responsibilities continue to be effectively delivered
- That the employee’s long term or serious illness cannot be effectively supported by the company with all recommended adjustments reasonably considered and that either redeployment to an open vacancy in the company that better suits the employee takes place or, if there is not a suitable open vacancy within the company dismissal on the grounds of health capability takes place.
The outcome of all Formal Stage meetings will be confirmed in writing to the employee.
Where continuation of the employee’s existing work duties is not deemed to be possible within a reasonable time period, Hopscotch will always seek opportunities to redeploy the employee into an alternative open vacancy that the employee may be able to undertake based on the restrictions of their ill health prior to any decision to dismiss.
Should a Formal Stage meeting result in a change to an employee’s employment conditions, such as a dismissal on the grounds of health capability, the employee will be given the right to appeal that decision. The right to appeal will be communicated in writing to the employee and be available for a period of 5 working days from the date the meeting decision is communicated, in writing, to the employee.
The employee has a right to be accompanied at all Formal Stage meetings. In accordance with ACAS guidelines, the employee may be accompanied by a trade union official or a work colleague and the normal rules that apply to accompaniment under ACAS guidelines shall be applied.
Where a long-term illness is recognised as a disability in accordance with UK legislation the company will make all medically recommended adjustments that are reasonably possible to accommodate in order to support the return of the employee to the full remit of their work. Examples of reasonable adjustments that may be supported include:
- A Phased Return to Work
- Adjustments to working environment or work practice
- Redeployment to suitable role
If a decision to dismiss on the grounds of ill health capability is taken, then the employee will receive their notice period at their full pay rate as well as pay for any holiday accrued but untaken during their employment – holiday continues to accrue during long term illness at the rate agreed in the employee’s contract.
Where a staff member experiences absence as a result of a disability it will be recorded separately and treated in line with the Equalities Act 2010. A disabled employee’s absence may be related to their disability rather than illness. In such cases where the absence is not related to ill health the employee will be given disability leave to manage their disability.
If a staff member becomes disabled or their disability worsens, Hopscotch has a duty to consider making reasonable adjustments if they become unable to carry out their job. This will include considering whether or not it is reasonable to make adjustments to their working conditions or the workplace. It will also include considering whether it is reasonable to transfer the disabled person to another vacant post.
Hopscotch will allow a person who has become disabled more time off during work than would be allowed to non-disabled employees to enable them to have rehabilitation training. A similar adjustment would be appropriate if a disability worsens or if a disabled person needs occasional treatment.
When employees are absent due to sickness they must do the following:
- On the first day of sickness absence, telephone their nursery management team as soon as is reasonably practical but always before their shift begins. The nursery management team will relay this information to Hopscotch Head Office if deemed necessary i.e. in the case of a serious illness or accident or other serious reason.
- Staff must give the reason for their absence and if possible indicate the likely date of their return to work. Texts, emails or Social Media messages are not acceptable methods of absence reporting.
- Staff must call in person - family members or friends may not call on your behalf unless in an emergency.
- Staff must keep their manager informed of their wellness, usually by telephoning them at 4.00pm, to indicate if they will be returning the next day.
Failure to do this may lead to disciplinary action.
Absence due to illness on three separate occasions over a three-month period will be deemed unacceptable and will trigger an investigation into the causes. The outcome of the investigation may lead to disciplinary action.
Staff who have had diarrhoea and / or vomiting should not return to work until they have had no symptoms for 48 hours and if necessary cleared to do so by competent authorities.
All staff have responsibilities to minimise sickness and infection spread across the nursery. The following procedures are in place:
- Wash with soap & water for ≥20 seconds: before/after food, after toileting or nappy changes, after outdoor play or animal contact, after coughing/sneezing
- Use hand sanitiser in the rooms
- Daily: disinfect high‑touch surfaces (tables, handles, taps, toys, tablets); change cloths/wipes often
- Deep clean: scheduled thorough cleans; launder soft items at recommended temperatures
- Open windows/doors where possible to ensure fresh air flow
- Cover coughs/sneezes with tissue or elbow; bin tissue immediately; clean hands afterward
- Wear gloves, aprons, masks for nappies or bodily fluids
- Dispose of PPE in covered bins; wash hands after removal
- Keep up to date with recommended jabs (e.g. seasonal flu)
- Monitor for symptoms; stay home if unwell
- Inform management immediately of symptoms or suspected outbreaks (maintain confidentiality)
- Follow posted visual aids and join briefings on germ management practices
When an employee returns to work from an unplanned absence, they will attend a Return to Work interview with an appropriate senior member of staff. This is to be organised on the first day back to work. The interview provides an opportunity for the employee to discuss the reason for their absence in a supportive and confidential environment, ensuring any underlying health, personal or workplace issues can be identified early.
Through open conversation, the senior member of staff can explore whether the employee requires any adjustments, additional support, or signposting to resources such as occupational health, counselling services, or workload management. It also allows the manager to update the employee on any key developments that occurred during their absence, helping them reintegrate smoothly into their role.
Ultimately, Return to Work interviews are not just an administrative step; they are an important part of fostering a supportive workplace culture and ensuring every employee feels valued, heard and able to perform their role effectively after any unplanned absence.
Consistent lateness is not acceptable and might trigger the necessity for an investigation, which may lead to disciplinary action.
A dependent is classed as someone for whom the staff member is the primary carer.
An employee's dependants can include:
- their husband, wife, civil partner or partner
- their child
- their parent
- a person who lives in their household (not tenants or lodgers)
- a person who relies on them, such as an elderly neighbour
All staff members are entitled to a reasonable amount of time off without pay to deal with an emergency involving a dependent, for example. if a dependent falls ill or is injured, or if schools are closed or other care arrangements break down. They may also choose to use a paid occupational sick day or use holiday entitlement for this reason.
This provision is for genuine emergencies only and is not intended to be used in circumstances where an employee knows in advance that the problem is going to arise, i.e. planned medical appointments for dependents or for school closures or holidays. In these circumstances employees should make alternative arrangements such as requesting annual leave.
If a member of staff requests time off for any circumstances which are not covered by any of the above, then this is at the discretion of the Nursery Manager, who must ensure that the needs of the nursery and the staff ratios are of paramount consideration. There is no automatic entitlement to paid time off during working hours to attend medical and dental appointments, and these should generally be made in the employee’s own time.
However, it is recognised that staff may, on occasion, need to make appointments during the working day. It would be expected in this case that the staff member would make their appointments at the beginning or end of the day to minimise any disruption to the nursery.
If the staff member is absent from the nursery, the following conditions apply:
- Absence of 1 hour or less - a choice to make up the time or recorded as unpaid leave
- Absence of more than 1 hour - recorded as unpaid leave.
- The staff member may choose to use any outstanding holiday entitlement instead of the above.
There is no statutory entitlement for time off for interviews, except in the case of redundancy.
All staff are entitled to up to 5 days paid leave per annum prorated to working pattern, due to the death of close family member (mother, father, child, wife/husband/partner, sister or brother only)
Hopscotch nurseries are open all year round, apart from at weekends, bank holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year.
If a staff member cannot report for work, for example because of adverse weather conditions or a transport strike, even where this is no fault of their own, there is no statutory entitlement to be paid.
We aim to always be open and even in challenging circumstances staff should always do their utmost to attend work. Failure to do so without good reason could result in an investigation by the Nursery Management team, which might be escalated if required.
Staff should follow the following guidelines for each potential adverse event:
Snow or other severe weather:
If snowfall occurs, or another severe weather condition such as dense fog, which might impact on road safety or public transport then the Nursery Management team will consult with the Head of Operations and the Managing Director as to whether the nursery can open safely. This decision will take into account the safety of the children, their parents and the staff team. Until something has been communicated to staff by Nursery Management then staff should always assume the nursery is open. In the event of a planned closure during the nursery day, we will contact all parents to arrange for collection of their child at the earliest available opportunity.
In the event of staff shortages due to snow or other severe weather, we will contact all available off-duty staff and/or bank staff and group the children as required until cover staff are able to arrive. If we are unable to maintain statutory ratio requirements after all avenues are explored, we will contact Ofsted to inform them of this issue, recording all details in our incident file. If we feel the safety, health or welfare of the children is compromised then a decision to close the nursery may be taken if no other alternatives can be implemented.
Heat Wave / High Temperatures:
The Nursery Manager will make day-to-day decisions about the length of time spent outside depending on the strength of the sun. On hot days, staff are still expected to wear the correct uniform and be presentable. Staff should ensure they stay well hydrated throughout the working day.
Flood:
In the case of a flood, we will follow our critical incident procedures to enable all children and staff to be safe and continuity of care to be planned for. We will consult with our Health and Safety advisor and other organisations to help inform decision making.
In summary, we will always endeavour to keep the nurseries open. If a staff member cannot report for work because of adverse weather conditions, even where this is no fault of their own, there is no statutory entitlement to be paid. In these circumstances, the staff member must choose to have this time as unpaid leave or use their holiday entitlement.
This policy only applies to Hopscotch office and administrative staff who can still carry out their work duties remotely. It is not possible for general nursery staff and nursery management staff to undertake their roles and responsibilities remotely as childcare requires staff to be in the nursery in person.
Unless otherwise agreed, Hopscotch office staff are expected to be office based for their working hours. However, in certain unpredictable situations or when certain projects require staff might be permitted to temporarily work remotely, either from home or another suitable location. The Hopscotch HR Manager should be consulted in this scenario and they will advise of a way forward.
All other Hopscotch staff are expected to undertake their duties from their assigned nursery. Because of the nature of the work of childcare, working from home is not a feasible option and cannot be considered.
Hopscotch recognises that parents may wish to engage nursery employees for private babysitting arrangements outside of nursery operational hours. However, we must clearly establish boundaries and responsibilities to protect all parties involved—children, parents, and Hopscotch staff. This policy outlines our position regarding such arrangements to ensure clarity, safety, and accountability.
- Any babysitting arrangement made between nursery employees and parents/carers is a private agreement between the two parties.
- Hopscotch Children's Nurseries has no involvement or responsibility in any babysitting arrangements and will not accept any liability arising from such arrangements.
- Staff engaged in private babysitting are not acting as employees or representatives of Hopscotch.
Employees must adhere strictly to confidentiality obligations at all times and not disclose any private or sensitive information obtained through their employment at Hopscotch.
Employees remain bound by Hopscotch’s safeguarding and child protection policies. Any safeguarding concerns or allegations arising during private babysitting must be reported immediately to Hopscotch’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
Babysitting arrangements must never interfere with employees’ professional duties or working hours at Hopscotch. Employees are expected to maintain professional conduct and fitness to work at all times.
Parents understand and accept that private babysitting arrangements with Hopscotch employees are entirely separate from nursery services.
Parents acknowledge that Hopscotch cannot be held accountable or liable for any incidents, issues, disputes, or safeguarding concerns arising from private babysitting agreements.
Parents must not request babysitting services to begin or end within the nursery setting unless the employee is formally listed as an authorised individual to collect or drop off the child, in compliance with Hopscotch’s collection procedures.
- Employees engaged in private babysitting arrangements retain their professional responsibility to act on any safeguarding or child protection concerns immediately.
- Hopscotch retains the right to investigate safeguarding concerns or allegations against employees, irrespective of whether they arise within or outside the nursery setting, in accordance with nursery safeguarding procedures.
This policy aims to protect the interests and wellbeing of children, clarify responsibilities, and safeguard all involved parties.