employment laws and the SN child

[pickyvic]

hi all

can anyone tell me what the law says in terms of if you have had to take a days leave to deal with issues arising from having a child with SEN?

i had to take last friday off work (the first time ive ever done this) to sort out an issue arising from having a son with SEN, he is 17 and ive never had to take time off work before. it was pretty serious and i asked my boss on thursday if i could take a days leave on friday. he wasnt happy, and is pulling me in tomorrow for a "chat" and i suspect this will come up.
id love to be able to get my defence in if he starts. does anyone know what the legal position is please?
im looking for another job asap - just not much out there at the mo. id like to tell my crappy boss to go shove his mock sympathy where the son dont shine as i suspect i am going to be in trouble tomorrow for taking that days leave...
x

[PeachyTheRiverParrettHarlot]

itscomlex I think when you get to 17

At the very least ou can throw disability discrimination at him now as a carer.

I would suggest a visit and maybe a call to the ACAS website, they are amazing

[TotalChaos]

there's a fairly recent tribunal case called coleman about not discriminating against carers - so if someone without a kid with SEN had taken a day off and not got grief over it, but you did, that could be construed as discrimination.

business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article4350449.ece

[pickyvic]

i thought that there was something about reasonable working if you had a child under 18 with SEN but i could of course be dreaming that up, like what i would like ideally in a parallel universe.

i just KNOW that this is going to come up tomorrow...and i am SO not in the mood for having to defend myself.

[TotalChaos]

ah now maybe this is what you have in mind re:right to flexible working

www.carers.org/carers-and-employment,100,TP.html

[pickyvic]

yep, bet thats what im thinking of. not gonna help me really is it if i get a bollocking for taking a day off.
im bracing myself. nothing would make me happier than to tell my boss to shove his job where the sun dont shine.

sooner or later i HAVE to get another job! law of averages and all that - im applying for enough of em!

[TotalChaos]

how did it go pickyvic?

[pickyvic]

oh i am pshycic...it was exactly what i expected.
and he is keeping me on probation despite the fact that i started work for this company in december last year...lol - and i really cant be arsed to argue as it means WHEN i give notice i only have to give a week.

bollocks to it all.

[mummysaurus]

your boss sounds like a real arse. hope you get a new job soon and can leave them in the doo.


xx