Dispute with manager

Beautiful-Moose

Last week I had to take my BF to a walk in center to see a doctor as he was having pains in his lower back and other male areas if you catch my drift and was struggling to stand let alone walk. He rung the 111 NHS service and was told to see a doctor asap. Turns out he has an infection which is why he was in so much pain. Got given a prescription and I took him home.

As I work a good hour and a half away from my place of work I rung my boss and asked if she wanted me to come in or if I could work from home for the rest of the day instead so I could still keep an eye on my poorly BF. She said not to bother coming in and as we were having a quiet day there was no point working from home and we would sort it out when I came back to work. I came back in to work on Friday as usual but she was out of the office all day so we never sorted anything.

So today I have come in and been told that I now need to fill in the day as annual leave. Had I known that I would never have agreed to take the rest of day off as I don't have much left in the way of annual leave this year. I want to put the day down as a sick day, am I within my rights to do this?

k3lvc

Beautiful-Moose wrote: »

I want to put the day down as a sick day, am I within my rights to do this?

Were you sick or do you have one of those jobs where 'sick' is a catch-all for not going in ?

On a serious note if you expect to be paid for it then it's either holiday or offer to catch up the time unless you've something in writing (email/sms) which confirms your conversation

Otherwise you might get away with dependents leave (unpaid)

sangie595

It was sorted out. You get to take it as holiday. Or you don't get paid. Your BF was sick - not you.

FBaby

You were not sick, so no of course you can't put it down as that. What you need to do is talk to your manager and say that there seem to have been a misunderstanding as you assumed you would be able to make up the hours you took as it was agreed you didn't need to come back to the office. Say that next time, you understand that in such a circumstance, you would be required to take the day off but whether in this case, they would agree for you could make up the hours instead.

TELLIT01

You weren't sick so sick leave isn't an option particularly if you told your boss the outline of the reason you weren't coming in initially. "Household emergency" is an option with some employers but often still ends up as a day's leave taken. The offer to make up the hours is a reasonable one on the face of it.

TBagpuss

As FBaby and Tellit say, you weren't sick, so you can't claim sick leave.

You could ask to take it as unpaid leave under the 'time off for family and dependents' provision, but I don't think that taking an adult to the doctor would necessarily count as an emergency - it doesn't sound as though he was so sick that he needed you to care for him, although of course it is understandable that he wanted you there.

You can ask your boss whether you can make the time up, or take the day as unpaid leave, but I don't think that she would be under any obligation to agree.

dseventy

I rung my boss and asked if she wanted me to come in or if I could work from home for the rest of the day instead so I could still keep an eye on my poorly BF. She said not to bother coming in and as we were having a quiet day there was no point working from home and we would sort it out when I came back to work

This (my bold) was the point to have the discussion about the day. Your boss told you there was no point working that day. So you didnt.

Why you dont expect to have to make this up either by TOIL or leave, I dont understand.

had I known that I would never have agreed to take the rest of day off as I don't have much left in the way of annual leave this year

Hang on, it was really important to be at home to look after your boyfriend.

To be at home , not working, looking after your bf, what were you expecting? Just the day off? Given its not a child, dependent or you being a carer, what did you expect?

Holiday or make the time up is fair.
d70

ToriP

Certainly not a sick day. Holiday day seems fair if unpaid or make the time up isn't an option

Undervalued

dseventy wrote: »

This (my bold) was the point to have the discussion about the day. Your boss told you there was no point working that day. So you didnt.

Why you dont expect to have to make this up either by TOIL or leave, I dont understand.



Hang on, it was really important to be at home to look after your boyfriend.

To be at home , not working, looking after your bf, what were you expecting? Just the day off? Given its not a child, dependent or you being a carer, what did you expect?

Holiday or make the time up is fair.
d70

Totally agree except that the b/f could arguably be a dependant for this purpose (although it is a close call). The dependant doesn't have to be a relative, just somebody who could reasonably depend on you in an emergency.

However, even if so then that would only entitle her to unpaid leave and not an extra day's paid holiday..

If not, then it could be argued that the firm are being generous and lenient as they could treat it as an unauthorised absence and take disciplinary action!

sharpe106

also what did you except for the first part of the day you took of to take him to doctors?

DandelionPatrol

Beautiful-Moose wrote: »

.... So today I have come in and been told that I now need to fill in the day as annual leave. Had I known that I would never have agreed to take the rest of day off as I don't have much left in the way of annual leave this year. I want to put the day down as a sick day, am I within my rights to do this?

Things you could reasonably negotiate for in order of preference

• Make the hours up
• Day's unpaid leave
• Day's annual leave