Time off for medical appointment

[Theworld12]

I have a long term health condition which means I need to go to a GP appointment for injections once a month. This means I would need to leave work for about an hour and a half (accounting for travel there and back) at the beginning or end of the day.

Would it be reasonable to ask to make up the time later (my job is one which isn’t shift work) rather than unpaid leave each time and could they say no?

No at all

Nobody can answer this for you unless they work in your company and know. It varies from company to company.

My company allows time for medical appointments and wouldn’t expect you to make the time up. The expectation is that you arrange appointments for the start or end of the day but if you can’t they generally allow 2-3 hours depending on the distance from work
Ask your work what the policy is.

@CaptainCorriganIsFlying Yep I realise that, though I just wanted to get a vague idea before I ask HR since our written policy seems a big vague

Not unreasonable to ask, but yes they can say no and make it unpaid.

@LostAtTheCrossRoad Yh I will probably just have to ask and hope they don’t make me take it unpaid.

does anyone know if a long term health condition can count as a disability in employment, as Id have a stronger case for reasonable adjustments as I can’t really afford to take unpaid leave 12 half days a year for medical appointments.

I'm in the process of putting a stop to our staff doing this (small business). It makes calculating hours at the end of the month an utter nightmare. We now say that they either book a half day or they lose the time if it's an appointment that can't be rearranged.

Hope you never need any goodwill or flexibility from your staff in return.

@Bluebells1970 what have your staff done to be so mistrusted?

Tory behaviour.

Yes its reasonable.

In my company we allow 3 hours of paid medical appointments per year. I’m a team manager and if one of my staff needed to go more regularly I would encourage them to get an occupational health report with HR and get it written up that regular paid medical appointments are needed. If HR are unwilling to agree this then I would 100% let them work flexi time around this. And we are a company where every minute of the day is planned for but as long as we can prepare in advance it’s no problem. I know every company is different but ask your manager about occupational health reports

https://www.acas.org.uk/supporting-disabled-people/disability-related-absence

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/check-if-youre-protected-from-discrimination/what-counts-as-disability/#:~:text=The%20definition%20is%20set%20out,normal%20day%2Dto%2Dday%20activities