blood test/dr appointments - holiday or sick day?

mess0804

I have appointments for blood test at the hospital, specialist reffersals. They came by post and I can't choose the date is already set. Usually if I am lucky enough they are 10 o'clock or 3 pm and I can take only half- day of holiday.
Just wanted to ask what you normally do , as I only have 3 more days left for this year (from the vast number of 20) ... could this be considered as sick days? as I missed work only 2 days this year as sick days, I really don't know what to do ... hospital is mon-fri , work is mon-fri ... the choice is earn money to live .. or if it serious earn money to pay for the funeral ...:( sorry, rant over, but I'm in quite a bad mood ...

ankspon

You can ring and change the appointment time,it's not set in stone.

diable

Speak to your company/manager to see what they say, where I used to work they just let you go to the appointment with no quibbles.

Googlewhacker

if they won't let you go and come back and make the hours up then appointments are normally seen as holiday days, the effects from the appointment ie the days after that mean you can't work) are seen as sick IMO.

ceh209

Do you know your company's policy? Mine will let you take reasonable time off for doctor's appointments without it being holiday or sick days, though if you started doing it frequently they'd complain.

Best just to ask - if you're told it should be holiday, can you make up the hours?

mess0804

I tried to ring , they new appointment date will be in another months time , mon-fri.

I feen so annoyed that i go to work full time, pay my taxes ... don't earn enough to afford to go private ... so I have to take days from my small holiday to do some test...

mess0804

it's an office so I don't know when could I make up the hours ... the only time that I had an appointment I took a half -day. Luckly I search for a GP that's opend on saturdays too ... so for gp appointments I go off work time... just the specialist referal and the blood test now will take 2 of my days

Googlewhacker

mess0804 wrote: »

I tried to ring , they new appointment date will be in another months time , mon-fri.

I feen so annoyed that i go to work full time, pay my taxes ... don't earn enough to afford to go private ... so I have to take days from my small holiday to do some test...

I presume you get 20 days plus bank holidays? If so that is legal.

Its not the companies fault though when your appointments are.

mickbhall

Were i work it is 2 hours pass out for doctors/ dentist 4 hours for hospital not taken out of leave. This company runs a strict 1 off per line per day also.

Winky,_The_House_Elf

Ask your manager. Where I work its normal to allow reasonable time off for these kind of appointments, without being classed as sick. Most places understand that they can't always be scheduled out of work time, and it doesn't sound like you are taking the mickey from what you have posted.

If not, could you offer to take shorter lunches to make up the time?

RazWaz

Where I work we are allowed to go to appointments as authorised absences, ask if they will allow you to do this, you work normally for the day around the appointment, but still get paid. We do have to show proof of the appointment though.