Purpose
The purpose of this document is to outline the provisions for unpaid leave, as well as the 	application and approval process for taking a period of unpaid leave.
[enter-your-company-name-here] is committed to providing a considered approach to balancing the needs of its employees with those of the Organisation. [enter-your-company-name-here] recognises that on occasions, some employees may need to take leave that cannot be granted under other leave provisions.
This document applies to all permanent full-time and part-time employees. Casual workers are excluded from the provisions outlined in this document.

Policy
Leave without pay will only be considered for employees in exceptional circumstances.  
Each situation will be judged on its merits, with the following factors being taken into consideration:
•	Length of Service with the company
•	Record of Performance

Where applicable, an employee’s accrued annual leave is to be utilised before leave without pay will be considered.
Prior to granting leave without pay that extends beyond one week, managers must obtain the approval of the General Manager.
Where leave without pay extends beyond a one week period, other leave entitlements will cease to accrue for the period of unpaid leave. 

Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of Management to:
•	adhere to the provisions of this policy when approving applications for leave without pay
•	process all applications for leave without pay as soon as possible
    
It is the responsibility of Employees to:
•	Adhere to the provisions of this policy when making an application for leave without pay
•	Initiate leave applications by completing and submitting the appropriate leave documentation

Procedure
•	Leave without pay may be granted to an employee for exceptional circumstances, such as personal reasons.
•	Applications for leave without pay are to be submitted to the employee’s manager for review.
•	Applications for leave without pay should be made as soon as the employee is made aware of the requirement for leave.
•	Upon receiving an application for leave without pay, the employee’s manager shall consider all of the circumstances surrounding the request for leave, and make a decision in consultation with the General Manager.
•	It is important that the conditions, under which an employee is granted leave without pay, are documented in the form of a standard memo. A copy of this memo is to be filed in the employee’s personnel file.  

SAMPLE LETTER TO BE ISSUED TO EMPLOYEES GRANTED LEAVE WITHOUT PAY