Being told to take annual leave for a dental appointment?

elsien

Can't he ask for an appointment for the evening - my surgery has late nights to cover people who can't get in during normal work hours.

boliston

It seems a bit silly to have to take a whole 7.5hour days leave for a 1 hour appointment (including waiting & walking from the office time). My company's policy is work a lunch hour or two to make up the time (medium sized private sector firm with about 50 people).

Fluffi

An employer doesn't legally have to give you paid time off for doctors, dentist appointments or even non-elective in-patient surgery!

An employer can force you to take all these appointments as annual leave if you can't schedule them at weekends. I know people that have taken holiday for surgery (so they got full pay rather than SSP).

axomoxia

Could he not take half a day?

To be honest, I've never worked for an employer thats insisted I book leave for a doctors or dentists appointment..... seems a little jobsworth if you ask me....

DCFC79

axomoxia wrote: »

Could he not take half a day?

To be honest, I've never worked for an employer thats insisted I book leave for a doctors or dentists appointment..... seems a little jobsworth if you ask me....

some employers wont allow you to take half a day holiday,

OP does your son work monday to friday so could he not make it for an evening or a saturday

one of my previous employers would let you go to the dentist in work time and not have to make it up at a later time,

Savvy_Sue

When I worked formal flexi-time, then we were expected to make appointments at times which enabled us to do our core hours, or book annual leave, so that covered doctor, dentist, optician.

Anything for which we had no choice about timing didn't have to be made up or taken as leave.

OP, you have indeed been lucky ...

desperado2

Mrs_Money wrote: »

BTW - I wasn't suggesting that this was a given right - by the tone of some of the replies people seem to indicate that my inquiry was somewhat unreasonable!

I would guess they read your post and thought otherwise.. :rolleyes:

Mrs_Money wrote: »

can they do this under employment law - can anyone give me a link to any info?
We may need to prove to them that they can't do this

Does suggest a rather combatant attitude.. IMHO

When I was a senior manager I permitted my staff to book dental and Dr appointments first or last thing and thus come in an hour late or leave an hour early, but it was because my staff were hard working and flexible in their approach when necessary, and I didn't have the scope for official bonuses and rewards (it was a charity).

But that aside, I do find it apalling that people treat "work" as a great inconvenience in their lives and expect employers to bend over backwards for any trivial matter that arises due to laziness and lack of forethought.. and I am with Mikeyorks on this one..

loopy_lass

yep they can do this sorry to say... i beleive if its a hosptial appointment you may be able to claim 2 hrs off work for that, not sure if its paid though... but definately not doctors or dentists app...

hth loops

donnajunkie

if you work at a company that is such a bad company that it makes you use up your holidays on doctor/dental appointments then it is obvious what you need to do isnt it.

desperado2

donnajunkie wrote: »

if you work at a company that is such a bad company that it makes you use up your holidays on doctor/dental appointments then it is obvious what you need to do isnt it.

Yes, change your attitude and accept that work is a commitment to turn up at the appointed times in return for an agreed wage.. not a bleedin holiday camp with optional activities for when you're in the mood....