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Employment
Your right to
take time off work depends on both your statutory rights and your
contractual rights.
Contractual
rights
You contract
of employment may give you the right to take time off work for
specific
reasons. In
addition to any statutory rights that you may have, the contract
may give you rights to time off for reasons which are not covered
by legislation.
Your contract
is not just a written contract but includes anything which has been
agreed
with the
employer verbally or which has been established by custom and
practice.
Statutory
rights
Government
legislation gives time off work for:
Maternity/paternity
Public
duties
Redundancy to
look for work
Sickness
Holidays
Jury
service
Family
emergencies in connection with dependants
Time off
for emergencies:
You are
entitled to take time off work to deal with unexpected family
emergencies involving close family members or other people who
depend on you.
This time off
will not be paid unless your contract of employment says it will
but you do not have to make it up later on.
You can take
time off, for example when;
Someone falls
ill or is injured
Someone
dies
Care
arrangements fro someone breaks down
You need to
deal with an unexpected incident involving your child at their
school
Close family
member usually means a child, husband, wife or civil partner
cohabiting
partner or
parent. Someone who depends on you may be anyone else who lives
with you (other than a lodger or tenant or border) or someone who
relies on you such as an
elderly or
disabled relative or neighbour
What is
meant by reasonable time off work?
Your employer
should allow you to take then time off you need to deal with the
emergency. This may only be a day or too, but could be
longer.
What
can you do if refused time off
work?
If you are
refused time off work you should try to resolve the problem by
negotiating
with the
employer. However, you should consider what impact this might have
on the relationship with your employer.
If you are
dismissed for taking time off work you should seek advice from the
CAB as to whether your dismissal is unfair. | 