Employment Law for parents?

Caspar · 14-11-2005, 19:46

What's law when it comes to parents and their employers when a parent gets a call from their child's nursery about the child's ill-health?

Today, I got a call from my daughter's nursery and had to leave work and take my daughter to the doctors.

Do I have to book the afternoon off as holiday? Is there not any legislation that allows parents to take parental leave, without being forced to take it as holiday?

Also, the wife is now planning to take tomorrow off to take care of our daughter. Is she required to book it off as holiday?

Chimaera · 14-11-2005, 19:49

I think you are granted something called 'carer's leave' which you can take to look after any dependents? Where I work you are allowed 5 days a year for this but I'm not sure if it's something all employers grant.
Edit - some useful stuff here

14-11-2005, 19:57

I think this

http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/timeoff.htm

explains it, Cas - as i read it they can't refuse you the time off, but aren't obliged to pay you, unless by prior agreement/contract

- as for your Wife, it will, again, be down to her contract or employers discretion ...

14-11-2005, 20:04

Reading that ^^ howver, it looks like they don'y have to pay you, but, if you wanted, you could take it as unpaid leave, rather than losing holiday.

Caspar · 14-11-2005, 20:41

Looks like I'm booking it off as annual leave then!

Thanks guys

scrotnig · 14-11-2005, 20:54

You are entitled to take unpaid leave to deal with a 'domestic crisis'. Very unspecific as to what constitutes one though.

Any half reasonable firm would not have an issue with this....both my current and previous employers will allow a couple of hours off for an emergency or even a doctors' appointment without deducting any pay and without affecting leave entitlement.

14-11-2005, 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrotnig

You are entitled to take unpaid leave to deal with a 'domestic crisis'. Very unspecific as to what constitutes one though.

Any half reasonable firm would not have an issue with this....both my current and previous employers will allow a couple of hours off for an emergency or even a doctors' appointment without deducting any pay and without affecting leave entitlement.

please stop beating yourself up

I called in, once, when i had a sewer overflow - can I take it as holiday? I have floating 'wipes' out back and the rest going down the road ? - answer, no, get it sorted & get into work - sympathy abounds in the world of work, these days

SMHarman · 14-11-2005, 22:37

What they said, but really, can you not, if they really care, make the time up. That's what I do in these circumstances. Having remote access to the main technology I need helps a lot, you can make the hours up over a couple of evenings from 8-11 when the wee-uns gone to bed.