Personal leave

Personal leave is separate from holiday and sick leave and provides further support and flexibility to employees. This section outlines how the leave can be used and how the leave type works.

The basics #

Most leave types will fall under our existing policies, such as holiday and sickness, so please refer to these in the first instance. However, we appreciate that this won’t always be the case. 

To help better support dxw employees, we offer up to two weeks (10 days) of paid personal leave. The leave can be used for various reasons and is requested via the personal leave form detailed below. Personal leave will be recorded separately from your holiday and sickness allowances.

If you’re unsure which policy your request applies to, please feel free to reach out to a member of the People team. 

Getting support #

Within any rolling 12-month period, a person can receive up to two weeks (10 days) of personal leave. Personal leave is paid leave that can be used on an ad-hoc basis where needed. 

This is pro-rated for staff who work non-standard working patterns. The pro-rated amount is calculated based on the number of days that you work per week.

Here are some ways that personal leave can be used:

• Gender transition
• Disability - the definition is set out in section 6 of the Equality Act 2010 which says you’re disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment and your impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to do normal day-to-day activities.
• Fertility treatment
• Early pregnancy loss
• Surgery - pre and post-operative 
• Menopause
• Pregnancy-related sickness
• Caring responsibilities

You can still apply for personal leave via the personal leave form if the above reasons do not cover your request. 

Decisions regarding personal leave will be made by your “Head of”, and in some cases, your business unit director. Our aim is to ensure that we’re treating everyone fairly and consistently while being aware of our financial requirements.

How to apply #

1. Complete the Google Form #

To request personal leave, please fill out the personal leave form. Please provide as much detail as possible. If you feel comfortable, let your line manager know you are requesting the leave in advance of submitting the form, where possible.

All information you provide will be considered confidential and will only be seen by your “Head of”, business unit director and the People team. Your line manager will have access to the leave record added to BreatheHR. Your submitted information will not be included in your BreatheHR record if you request it not to be. You will be given this option on the form. This data will be held in compliance with GDPR regulations. 

2. Specify the number of days requested #

Please indicate whether you require full days or half days for your personal leave, and specify the number of days needed. Please note that a separate form is required for each personal leave request.

3. Submission and review #

After completing the form, please submit it. The People team will receive it initially. It will then be considered for approval by your “Head of”, and in some cases, you business unit director. The People team will confirm within 7 calendar days if your request has been approved.

Further information #

We understand that on some occasions, you may need to take leave suddenly, and filling out the form beforehand or during your absence might not be possible. In such cases, be sure to inform your line manager, business unit director, or the People team about your leave prior to taking time off and complete the form in retrospect, within 2 working days of your return.

For all personal leave requests, your BreatheHR record will be updated to reflect the leave following your request.

There may be occasions where we require more detail on your request - we will inform you as soon as possible where that’s the case. If you have any questions related to personal leave, please contact the People team.

Last updated: 23 September 2025 (history)