Paid time off for medical appointments

AubreyMac

Luckily it's not often I need to see a doctor, but when I do my surgery annoyingly opens during the hours I work so if I wanted to see a GP, I would have to take a couple of hours off work. This has always come out of my TOIL or annual leave.

My pregnant colleague doesn't get the time or money deducted when she attends any pregnancy related appointments. Apparantly it's unlawful for employers to deduct any pay or annual leave. Is this true?

If so, how on earth is this fair?

Do expectant fathers get the same?

lazer

AubreyMac wrote: »

Luckily it's not often I need to see a doctor, but when I do my surgery annoyingly opens during the hours I work so if I wanted to see a GP, I would have to take a couple of hours off work. This has always come out of my TOIL or annual leave.

My pregnant colleague doesn't get the time or money deducted when she attends any pregnancy related appointments. Apparantly it's unlawful for employers to deduct any pay or annual leave. Is this true?

If so, how on earth is this fair?

Do expectant fathers get the same?

Yes it's true.
Don't think the fathere gets anything as it's not his body mother needs to go, father doesn't

specialboy

That's the annoying thing, it's workers taxes that pay for the doctors but they don't open to suit working hours,

cr1mson

Mothers attending antenatal appointments ultimately saves the taxpayer money as it improves the health of mother and baby reducing the long term costs by allowing problems to be spotted earlier on. At the end of the day we need people to have children who then become taxpayers to fund public services.

Whilst a normal Drs appointment could also be argued to sometimes reduce long term costs it is not always the case. Plus you have the issue of people who would take the pi$$ it is not easy to discern who really needs to see the Dr whereas being pregnant isn't so easy. Although I guess theorectically possible!

I agree with specialboy Drs need to open better hours and you need to be able to pick your GP easier. We are lucky that our Drs opens 7-6pm 2 days a week.

specialboy

I'm lucky that I rarely need my doctors but if I do I work nights anyway so I'm able to go without taking time ff work.

Takeaway_Addict

it's not fair...that's life!

The only other exception to paid time off for doctors appointments is that it is deemed a reasonable adjustment by the employer for someone who is covered by the equality act.

However, this extremely rare as unpaid time off would be 99% of the time deemed a reasonable adjustment in itself

TELLIT01

Where I work we are expected to make routine GP appointments outside working hours wherever possible. If we do have to go during working hours we are not expected to make the time up.