Time off for medical appointments

NoAngel

Hi,

I'm working on a 13 week contract as I've just finished Uni and will be starting my full time job in September.

I get 5 days holiday and with it being the summer, already have plans and have booked up my time off! I found out yesterday that I'm going to need various hospital appointments in the coming weeks. These are most likely to be during my working hours (9-5), so I'm not really sure what to do.

I don't want to cancel my days off they're all planned for short trips and I really need the time off. Should I be allowed to take the time off from work (unpaid is fine)? I can't find anything about it in my contract, so thought I'd see what everyone else does.

Cazza

Most employers will let you take the time off, I've not worked for anyone who has insisted that I take the time as holiday, but not sure if it's because I've had nice employers or not! Some employers have just let me take the time off with no questions, others have asked me to make the time up by working additional hours.

dmg24

Cazza wrote: »

Most employers will let you take the time off, I've not worked for anyone who has insisted that I take the time as holiday, but not sure if it's because I've had nice employers or not! Some employers have just let me take the time off with no questions, others have asked me to make the time up by working additional hours.

I think you have had nice employers!

Policy will vary from employer to employer. Some will allow you to take the time off, some will ask you to take holidays, some will only allow it if it does not clash with anybody else being off. You need to ask what your employers policy is.

p00hsticks

My employer would let me have the time off to go to the occasional medical appointment without booking holiday but expect me to make the hours up during the rest of the week. Of course, it's not possible to be able to do that in all jobs.

You mention 'various hospital appointments' - how many and of what likely duration are we talking here ? There's a lot of difference between an odd hour every few weeks and large chunks of days every week or so....

Cazza

dmg24 wrote: »

I think you have had nice employers!

Policy will vary from employer to employer. Some will allow you to take the time off, some will ask you to take holidays, some will only allow it if it does not clash with anybody else being off. You need to ask what your employers policy is.

I've been lucky then! Fortunately, I've never had to have a series of appointments with anyone for anything, so it's always been one offs!

Realistically though, I am curious as to whenther an employer can stop you attending a medical appointment, if it's a genuine reason? I can understand making you take it as holiday, unpaid leave etc, but how far could they go in stopping you looking after your own health? I always try to get the 8:30 or 5:30 appointments, but you can't always do that???

NoAngel

Thanks for your comments everyone. I'm not exactly sure how many appointments to be honest, I have to see a specialist in a few weeks and then it would be another appointment for an MRI scan, then at least one or two more to follow that up. I imagine they're going to be fairly soon because of the nature of the problem and surgery may even be necessary and therefore I'd be off for sometime. It's all very sudden for me as I didn't even know anything was wrong until yesterday.

Should probably wait till my first appointment is confirmed and then contact my manager directly. from the sounds of things they wouldn't be being unreasonable to ask me to make up my hours (though as you can probably tell work is fairly low down on my priority list at the min anyway, just occured to me today to find out!)

NoAngel

Cazza- I don't think they could stop me, and nor would I think they would want to. Just didn't want to have to take it all as my very limited annual leave. Until now it's been appointments with the phlebotomist and GP so it's been easy enough to arrange these for 8.30 or 5.30 to get around working hours.

Uncertain

Unless you get bank holidays in addition to the 5 days leave you mention in 13 weeks, this is below the statutory minimum and therefore illegal.

It is now 5.6 weeks (28 days) per year.

NoAngel

Yes, I think bank holidays are in addition, as I know I'll be getting the August bank holiday off (mon and tues) and that this doesn't affect my holiday. Would this then make it ok?

liney

Our policy is that we are allowed to take time off (paid) for hospital appointments and doctors etc paid as long as we produce proof of appointment.

If the appointment is for our spouse or child though we have to book holiday, and holiday can only be booked in 1/2 day blocks. If we had no available holiday then we have to have unpaid time, but this is not allowed if we have unused holidays banked.

Not that this actually helps you, but it gives you an idea of what different companies do.

liney

NoAngel wrote: »

Yes, I think bank holidays are in addition, as I know I'll be getting the August bank holiday off (mon and tues) and that this doesn't affect my holiday. Would this then make it ok?

There are 8 public holidays, so as long as you get 20 days floating plus those it's fine. They are giving you Tuesday as well as Monday! Lucky you