Parental Leave and Sabbatical Leave

Chambers is committed to ensuring that its written policies permit members of Chambers to take career breaks, work flexible hours, part-time or partly from home to enable them to manage their family responsibilities and remain in practice. Our systems such as telephone conferencing, telephone portability (permitting tenants to use their direct line telephone numbers at home), e-mail and remote access to the Chambers’ system may be used to best advantage to enable members of Chambers to conduct their practices from home and abroad when desired.

The following policies set out our endeavours to ensure that these aims can be fulfilled in particular in relation to maternity leave, paternity leave and sabbatical leave.

Other periods of extended leave from Chambers (and the terms relating thereunder) may be negotiated at the discretion of the Head of Chambers or an Extraordinary General Meeting of Chambers.

For primary carers and primary adoptive parents:

The following provisions apply to each pregnancy or adoption of a child not yet in full-time education. References to a “tenant” or “tenant on maternity leave” should be read to include primary carers and primary adoptive parents irrespective of gender. A tenant's seat in Chambers will remain open initially for 12 months whilst they take parental leave. Parental leave may be taken for a period of up to 12 months. Whilst a tenant is away from Chambers on parental they are offered such leave free of rent and Chambers’ expenses (save for personal expenditure such as mobile phones, memberships and subscriptions). For the avoidance of doubt, they will be required during maternity leave to pay their percentage on receipts for work completed before they commenced parental leave. Every tenant on parental leave is encouraged to maintain contact with Chambers and will be offered opportunities to do appropriate work if they so wish. The tenant will receive assistance with re-establishing their practice on their return to work.

Before the termination of 12 months' parental leave, the tenant shall give notice in writing stating whether they will be returning to work and, if so, when that will be. Provided notice has been given, there is no time limit as to how much further leave the tenant may take. The tenant must also ensure that they remain up-to-date with CPD as required by the Bar Standards Board.  Members of Chambers who do any work during a period of leave covered by this policy must ensure that they have a current practising certificate.

If, at that time, the tenant intends not to return to work and therefore wishes to terminate their tenancy, they shall be liable to the notice period on Chambers' expenses and rent as required by the Chambers constitution.

Once the tenant wishes to terminate parental leave, they may return to work on a part-time basis or on a full-time basis.

Full-time: 

If they return on a full-time basis, a tenant will need time to build up their practice again. For that reason they will pay an all-inclusive 20% of receipts until such receipts in any one month are equal to the average (+/- 10%) of the last three months before their parental leave commenced. Once this figure is reached, they shall then move on to the normal payment method of rent plus a percentage. This payment method shall be subject to review 12 months after return, provided always that the payment of 20% is less than the sum that they would be required to pay were they a tenant paying full rent.

Part-time: 

If the tenant returns on a part-time basis, they shall be asked to elect a minimum number of days per month during which they shall be available for work. They shall then be liable to pay rent for this number of days plus a percentage of receipts, such rent to be calculated as a fraction of a full month. They shall also be liable to pay for any extra days actually worked over and above the minimum committed; again, such rent to be calculated as a fraction of a full month.

This payment method will continue in force throughout the first 12 months following return, provided that monthly receipts in any one month do not exceed the average (+/- 10%) of the last three months before their parental leave commenced. In the unlikely event that receipts do exceed such a figure, then the tenant shall move on to the normal payment method of rent plus a percentage.

If the tenant wishes to continue working part-time after the 12 months have ended, they are asked to approach the Head of Chambers and discuss the matter on an individual basis.

Members of Chambers who are neither primary carers, nor primary adoptive parents:

Members of Chambers who are neither primary carers, nor primary adoptive parents are offered one month’s leave free of Chambers rent and expenses (save for personal expenditure such as mobile phones, memberships and subscriptions) following the birth or adoption of a child, where they have or share responsibility for that child and so that they can discharge that responsibility. This is without prejudice to the above provisions relating to primary carers and primary adoptive parents. For the avoidance of doubt, the tenant will be required during this leave period to pay their percentage of receipts for work completed before the tenant commenced the leave period. The date of the commencement of this one-month period may be taken at a time of the tenant’s choosing following the date of birth or adoption of the child, within a three-month period of the date of birth or adoption.

Members of Chambers who do any work during a period of leave covered by this policy must ensure that they have a current practising certificate.

SABBATICAL LEAVE

In addition to parental leave, any tenant in Chambers may take sabbatical leave of up to six months after completing three years' continuous membership, during which time they shall not be liable for the fixed amount (i.e. rent) of Chambers' expenses. For the avoidance of doubt, the tenant will be required during sabbatical leave to pay their percentage of receipts for work completed before the tenant commenced the sabbatical leave.

The member of Chambers must also ensure that they remain up-to-date with CPD as required by the Bar Standards Board from time to time.

Members of Chambers who do any work during a period of leave covered by this policy must ensure that they have a current practising certificate.