Reparative rest leave

Rationale

Watershed acknowledges that due to structural inequalities in the cultural sector, not everyone experiences work in the same way.

When a staff member with lived experience of inequality is asked to participate in a socially engaged project, either as a participant or a staff member, they might be balancing:

• representing their lived experience to a group
• emotions related to their personal experiences of inequality
• a lack of understanding from other participants

In addition, staff with lived experience of inequality may also face exclusionary behaviours at external events, in their work or in their personal life, that their peers do not. We therefore offer up to three days of paid rest per year (not drawn from holiday allocation), for staff members who experience inequality. We invite staff to self-identify if you think that this policy applies to you – for example because of your race, gender expression or disability.

Leave

You may take a day of rest if:

• You are working on a project for Watershed where the themes being explored intersect with your lived experience
• You experience exclusionary behaviours at work from colleagues, customers or project participants based on your lived experience
• When events in the wider world are mentally, physically or emotionally traumatising because of your lived experience.

Notification

To take a rest day please email HR confirming which day you will be taking and notify your line manager. You are not required to give a reason for this rest day and we acknowledge this notification may be on the same day you wish to take the rest. If you work shifts and wish to take a day off that has already been confirmed in your rota please explain that in the email and we will work with line managers to find cover.

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The offer of rest sits alongside our mechanisms for investigating and resolving exclusionary behaviour in the workplace. Please refer to our Anti-harassment and Bullying policy for more information.

Our rest offer is also part of Watershed taking more of a proactive approach to racial justice, which is being worked on across many teams. It was inspired by the work of Rising and trialled in our Alternative Technologies for Just Transition Project.