Sick pay / Compasionate leave - Employer changing allowances

KennyH1

My employer is drafting up new company rules setting out details about sick pay, compassionate leave etc. This is due to a couple of members of staff taking the p**s and having long periods off.

Am I bound by these new rules as they have been brought in after my employment started.

Things like paid time off to look after a dependant in the first 24hrs of illness before sorting out childcare has been changed to unpaid time off.

Compassionate leave is now 2days - 1 for funeral.

InsideInsurance

Are these things enshrined in your contract of employment or are they simply company policies?

If they are part of your contract then it is more difficult for them to change it as you need to sign a new contract but they can certainly find ways to "encourage" you to switch contracts.

If they are simply company policy and not part of your contract then they can change them easily for existing employees as well as new starters

KennyH1

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Are these things enshrined in your contract of employment or are they simply company policies?

If they are part of your contract then it is more difficult for them to change it as you need to sign a new contract but they can certainly find ways to "encourage" you to switch contracts.

If they are simply company policy and not part of your contract then they can change them easily for existing employees as well as new starters

Just company policies. I thought it would be the case that they can just change them as you said, but my contract was signed with said policies in place and now they've changed.

harrys_dad

Have they consulted on the policies at all or just imposed them? Good management will always try to consult on these things, but you have very few rights in this matter I suspect. For example, you are legally entitled to unpaid time off for illness of a close relative but not paid time off.

burnoutbabe

pretty sure you are not allowed unpaid time off for illness of a close relative.

You are allowed it for a dependent, but the time is to find a babysitter etc.

CFC

burnoutbabe wrote: »

pretty sure you are not allowed unpaid time off for illness of a close relative.

You are allowed it for a dependent, but the time is to find a babysitter etc.

If the close relative becomes a dependent due to illness, then yes you are.

You are allowed unpaid time off for anyone who is a dependent and the net can be cast quite wide. It could be someone who is unrelated to you but is dependent on you at this moment in time.

It is not indefinite leave though and as you point out, it is time allowed in order to make arrangements.