Leave to attend a funeral of family member

VfM4meplse

staffie1 wrote: »

Yes well when redundancies come round (public or private sector) sick leave is usually taken into account, so they're doing themselves no favours.

I don't think so - the norm is to have an eye on those you wish to remove, and restructure accordingly. Therefore the perception of sick leave plays an inappropriate part.

SandC

SarEl wrote: »

Would this be the time to say that there are obviously a lot of efficiencies still to make in the private sector?

But isn't the point that everyone reacts differently to bereavement, and employers ought to be flexible within their business requirements to support their staff whilst obviously not allowing people to take the !!!!. But they do not have to be, and it is all too often when people have taken liberties in the past that they crack down and start enforcing rules rigidly - whatever the circumstances and whatever the sector.

Opinions are all very well and good, but as I have pointed out already, as have others, there is no legal right to paid time off for a funeral - and it is all a bit moot if the OP's brother died in June.

Absolutely, in fact before this thread I would have thought that there would generally be more flexibility in the private sector on this sort of thing than the public sector.

But then again in our particular firm we have very low absenteeism for staff (in terms of sick days) and so if someone needs time off it tends to be treated sensitively.

Oldernotwiser

SandC wrote: »

He just went to his GP and she immediately wrote him a note for 2 weeks. He said that as soon as he sat down and said his dad had died she was reaching for her pad, so it is very common.

.

This sort of behaviour has been mentioned before and explains very clearly why GPs can't be trusted to make the decision whether or not someone should get benefits when they're ill. It's absolutely scandalous that a GP should behave in this way and personally I would think it a reason for an investigation into unprofessional behaviour.

SandC

I see where you are coming from but they can see on their screens what that particular patient's history is and whether they have signed them off before, how often etc.

Uncertain

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

This sort of behaviour has been mentioned before and explains very clearly why GPs can't be trusted to make the decision whether or not someone should get benefits when they're ill. It's absolutely scandalous that a GP should behave in this way and personally I would think it a reason for an investigation into unprofessional behaviour.

A doctor has a legal duty to act in the best interest of the patient.

Also, a "sick / fit" note from a doctor is simply ADVICE, it is not an instruction or order.

If the doctor feels it is in the patient's medical best interest to have two weeks off in such circumstances then s/he will issue a certificate. The doctor cannot be aware in each case how this may be viewed by the employer as they have no direct contact.

VfM4meplse

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

This sort of behaviour has been mentioned before and explains very clearly why GPs can't be trusted to make the decision whether or not someone should get benefits when they're ill. It's absolutely scandalous that a GP should behave in this way and personally I would think it a reason for an investigation into unprofessional behaviour.

Believe me, GPs hate having to write fit notes or get involved in OH issues of any description. It's not exactly medicine, after all. You can see what someone is after as soon as they walk into your room...they're known as heartsinks for a reason.

dark_lady

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

This sort of behaviour has been mentioned before and explains very clearly why GPs can't be trusted to make the decision whether or not someone should get benefits when they're ill. It's absolutely scandalous that a GP should behave in this way and personally I would think it a reason for an investigation into unprofessional behaviour.

I wondered how long it would take before someone brought benefits into it. Im just surprised it took until page 3.
If God forbid my bro passed away I would need time to be with my mother as she would be beside herself. Italian mother and British father but its my dad who says British people are heartless and have no respect and that he prefers the Italians.
Oh Dad i see EXACTLY what you mean.
There are some really heartless comments in this thread.
Alan Lake blew his brains out with a gun a week after his wife Diana Dors funeral. Grief can bring on depression.
But it seems a lot of people have no respect not even for the dead.

SandC

I too think the comments on the rights and wrongs of getting a sick note following a bereavement are a little harsh.

What I was trying to highlight with my brother was his employer's attitude towards the situation. What I didn't say was had he phoned and spoken to his immediate manager he would have been told to take as long as he needed and that the HR requirements would be sorted.

I'm sure that GPs have more pressing matters to attend to but also that they will not be unduly hacked off by someone who rarely passes through the door of the surgery doing the only thing they can at a time of distress to avoid the potential increased strain of disciplinary action taken by their place of work for not conforming to their policies.

The thing is that it seems both public and private sector companies generally have similar written policies but discretion is applied at the by management in individual cases.

Caroline_a

When my mum died I lived 200 miles away, and had taken 3 days when we knew she was dying. I then stayed for another week to support my dad and also to arrange and attend the funeral, but I had to take that week as holiday (unpaid leave was the other option). When my dad died I was given 3 days compassionate leave, but had to take another day as holiday to attend the funeral. But then I work in the private sector....

mumps

I had two weeks leave when my mother died. I would have been useless in work and to be honest with you I couldn't have cared less whether I got paid or not, in fact if they had threatened to sack me I couldn't have gone in. I got paid in full (private sector) and my employer would have given me longer. No one can predict how they will cope with grief. Ten years on I still feel like crying for her some days, feeling sad today as it is the tenth anniversary of her death next week and my daughter is in hospital and I can't see her although I did manage to talk to her on the phone today.