Time off work for medical / hospital appts.

SandC

It's very often up to the discretion of the company and your particular management. I try to make appointments for dentist as first thing in the morning and nurse appointments which are a regular 3 monthly thing for after work. I know many people who don't bother to be flexible but just leave and return to work as it suits them. We are very lucky to have that flexibility and I for one do my best to sort things outside of working hours in case I ever get ill and need more time off for other things.

It isn't fair being ill but neither is it fair that any employee is away from work on a regular basis and still getting paid full pay when they are not using their holiday entitlement to cover it and others are working their full hours. Would you expect paid time off to wait in for the plumber or electrician or is that different because it's not medical?

I agree with those above who suggest trying to get the appointment first or last thing.

terra_ferma

Employers have a duty to make 'reasonable adjustments' under the Disability Discrimination Act, which would cover "someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities".
This may include hospital appointments, although it's not clearly specified.

This is obviously not the case (although if she has a contractual right to time off for hospital visits they will have to grant that).

If they give her this time off, they would probably have to give time off to other people as well, so those poor sods who don't have any hospital/doctor appointments will end up doing all the work.....

oscar52

Thanks for all your replies - not necessarily what I / my colleague wanted to here, but appreciate them all same.

terra_ferma - your response was probably what I was aiming at - obviously, given the appointment and the type of scan, there is a potential for long term effects.

And can understand the comment re other people having to pick up the work - but then this would also happen if a person was sick and very few people if any in my place have an exlemporary attendence record

Fleago

Hi Oscar52,

The DDA only covers people who have a condition such as Terra describes if it has lasted 12 months, is likely to last 12 months or is likely to recur. The condition must also cause the substantial impact on day to day living Terra quoted.

There are some exceptions to this which include a diagnosis of cancer, which mean the person is covered by the Act from the point of diagnosis. From the information you have given, your friend wouldn't be covered by the DDA because they don't actually have a condition, but rather have an increased chance of developing cancer due to family history.

If someone is covered by the DDA, the employer must allow reasonable time off for rehabilitation or treatment, which would include hospital appointments related to the condition, although they would not be obliged to pay the employee for the time off, but, on the other hand, they wouldn't be able to insist on the employee working the time back.

Hope that helps.

SandC

Making the time up is a good compromise to having to have the day unpaid or as holiday. If it were only half a day they would probably have let it go. Again, much depends on the discretion of the boss. As for exemplary attendance records - well this does come into play - certainly if you have a boss worth their salt. If you have x person who always makes their appointments so they cause the least hassle for work, who arrives early regularly so they are already working at start time rather than spending 10=15 minutes booting up the pooter, making the coffee etc. then it doesn't go unnoticed and when things like this come up allowances are made. Of course you then have some companies who don't notice anything at all!

Hermia

I think the only thing to do is try to reach a compromise. It does seem to depend on your company policy. Where I used to work hospital appointments could be taken in work time with no penalty, but if you went to the doctor or dentist you had to make the time up or use your annual leave. Do you not have a staff handbook that tells you what is allowed?

I have a chronic condition which requires regular doctor's appointments. I always try to book the first or last appointment of the day so I will not inconvenience my colleagues and my boss appreciates this and doesn't make me owe back the time.

terra_ferma

Oscar
I think you really miss the point here.
Your friend's employers are much more likely to show flexibility with someone like Hermia, than your friend, if she approaches it with the same attitude as yours.

Trying to use the DDA when it does not apply shows that you completely miss the point of having legislation to cover people who genuinely face difficulties/discrimination, as well as having a board like this where people try to help each other.

Also in this current climate many organisations are having the lay off staff, and when the time comes I wonder who they'd rather keep on....

movingforward2010

oscar52 wrote: »

Due to locality and work place, it is not worth the person coming into work, then leave and have to come back - What "management" have suggested, is ONE hour out of office and then to make any other time needed up.

Are they able to request for time to attend without having to make this up later in day or the week?

Thanks in advance.

I work for the DWP and thats the policy we have, if you have an appointment we can have up to 1 hour, as were on flexi we have to make up the extra time. If you dont have flexi could they just stay 10 - 15 minutes extra a day for a week?

We are asked to appointments at the beginning or end of the work day, so we can just leave a bit earlier or come in a little later.
But of course its not always possible to get the appointment time you need so if I've had appointment in the hospital, where I know i will probably end up having to wait ages I just ask if I can take the morning/afternoon as annual leave.

An hour seems quite fair, I know where my brother works they are really funny about it. So I consider myself lucky.

DCFC79

Ive got an appointment next week at the hospital and ive been advised to take a week off work so i booked it off as holiday thinking that was the only option but it was brought to my attention that i could save my holiday and put the time off work as sick

terra_ferma

DCFC79 wrote: »

Ive got an appointment next week at teh hospital and ive been advised to take a week off work so i booked it off as holiday thinking that was the only option but it was brought to my attention that i could save my holiday and put the time off work as sick

If you are taking time off because of a medical procedure that requires you to be off work then it counts as sick leave, as the hospital or your GP will be able to give you a certificate.