 |
answer text |
<p>The Church Commissioners do not have details of how many clergy have asked for
time off or adjustments, or the level of support for caring for dependants and assistance
with cover, as arrangements for this are best made locally – whether within the parish,
or arranged with the assistance of the area dean or archdeacon.</p><p>Since office
holders do not report on the number or arrangement of the hours they work in performance
of their duties of office, it is not known how many clergy women (and men) take advantage
of this flexibility to care for their dependants whilst holding full time offices
and receiving full stipend.</p><p>All clergy (women and men) holding office on Common
Tenure have a legal right to make a formal request for time off, or for adjustments
to their duties of office, to care for a dependant. The latest statistics show that
there were 330 women and 310 men in part-time stipendiary clergy roles at the end
of 2017. It is likely that a full time stipendiary office holder who makes a request
for their duties of office to be permanently adjusted to part-time in order to care
for a dependant would receive a corresponding reduction in stipend. The decision as
to whether an office holder receives full stipend during any formally requested time
off to care for a dependant is made by the bishop on a case by case basis. The Bishop
may grant special leave (usually on compassionate grounds)during which office holders
usually receive their full stipend.</p>
|
|
