Employer not allowing time off for medical appointments. What's the gen?

Bev._2

This isn't me, it's a girl i know, but i'm curious as to what happens here. I sort of had the same situation.

I had a dentist appointment - i saw my employer about it (they state they like you getting appointments close to the start of end of the day as possible) - so i showed i'd done this so as not to cause too much disruption. For years and years we've been allowed to go, but unpaid. This particular time though, i was something on the lines of "we're not stopping you from going, but if you go, you'll need to use a 1/2 day holiday for it". Around this time, i was going through a particularly "rocky patch" with my employer (everything smoothed out now).

I argued that if i was having a course of treatment, that could potentially wipe out my ENTIRE holiday allowance. She just stared at me.
Something else was said (can't remember what) for her to tell me to make a Saturday appointment (yet we also work Saturday's on a rota system). I explained that's not possible - my dentist doesn't work Saturday's.

Change your dentist then she replies. Yes, because changing my dentist is the easiest thing in the world.

That was my case, however on to this girls:


Basically she's in need of an appointment with her doctor regarding the pill (hey i'm a guy, i don't know the ins and outs!). She's not choosy if it's at the start, close to dinner or end of day, but she says she's in need of this appointment.

Told her employer who said she should go to the "gum clinic" as they open late at night. I asked what that was she said sex health clinic. Oops. So basically she isn't allowed to go to the doctor.
It is also difficult for them to get holidays at that place as someone is off long term sick (known to be taking the piddle, but that's another story), so any holiday requests are getting turned down.


Can she be out & out stopped like this or what? For some reason i have a funny feeling yes, but thought i best check.

Can they MAKE you use your holidays for your appointments like they did with me? Again, this seems wrong, but at the same time i've a funny feeling they can. Would be pretty crap though. What did you do on your hols? Oh i spent ALL of mine in a dentist/doctors/hospital etc.

SarEl

In short - yes they can. There is no right to time off - paid or unpaid - for medical appointments.

DCFC79

SarEl wrote: »

In short - yes they can. There is no right to time off - paid or unpaid - for medical appointments.

thankyou, i knew i was right, ive been telling my mum this for well 2 years as i booked time off for dentist appointments etc,

yvonne13_2

If I have a doctor's appointment, I get the last one of the day so I leave work at 4:30pm (an hour early) but I have to make the time up.

If it's a hospital appointment I can leave whenever without having to make the time up.

Emmzi

there are some exceptions like pre-natal and disability related.

t0rt0ise

I have a feeling that it's different if the appointment is for a condition that counts as a disability. They still don't have to pay you for the time off but they do have to let you go.

SarEl

Emmzi wrote: »

there are some exceptions like pre-natal and disability related.

Yes - I was talking about ordinary appointments. Some employers do allow other appointments (some even pay you if you conform to certain rules, although that's getting rare now. But I also do find the NHS oddly designed still, despite some vague attempts at changes, for people who are not working or too sick to go to work. It seems to me that since it is people in work who pay for it, it might be a good idea to think about how they could keep people in work.

dandelionclock30

She shouldnt have to go into what she is going to the DRS for with her employer- thats private.The GUM clinic doesnt tend to prescribe the pill, it tends to be for STI testing and treatment.Family planning clinics will prescibe contraception.
If I were her I would take a day off sick go to the DRS.

dark_lady

Emmzi wrote: »

there are some exceptions like pre-natal and disability related.

So you have a right to be pregnant but no right not to be!

dark_lady

When i was working for Rosebys years ago my contraceptive injection was due. It has to be done when its due (five days give or take) The "business" okayed the appointment when i booked it weeks in advance but then the day before the appointment asked me to change it.When i said i couldnt they asked why.
So i had to tell them but they said i still had to change it because they were short staffed.
And why were they so short staffed?
Heres the punchline..... because three other staff were on MATERNITY LEAVE.
And yet here they were trying to stop me from getting an injection that would prevent a fourth member of staff going on maternity leave. The stupidity beggars belief.
In fact,I wrote to a womens magazine (omitting the name of the company)about this explaining that it seems women have a right to be pregnant but no right not to be.
They printed it on their letters page.
Managers may have brains but in my experience are completely devoid of common sense.

Russe11

bad employers... allow no time off.

good employers... upto 3 hours per appointment.

excellent employers... total flexability when it comes to the wellbeing and health of their staff.