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Original poster

Time off for Doctors/hospital appointments?

63 replies

ChatterMonkey · 21/05/2023 11:22

How does your work deal with time off for doctors or hospital appointments?

Do you get paid time off for these, or do you have to use annual leave for it?

My employer asks you to use annual leave, or if not wanting to, will allow the time off but as unpaid leave. Which i thought was pretty standard. But a colleague is kicking off about the company's 'shitty' policy for medical appointments, and apparently expects paid time off for this, outside of his holiday days.

Whats standard for this sort of thing?

OP posts:
MumofCrohnie · 21/05/2023 13:09

See employment legislation summary

Time off for Doctors/hospital appointments?
mynewusername2023 · 21/05/2023 13:21

If it's under an hour I don't offer to make the time up or get asked to and we always try to do them early or late to minimise disruption. However hospital appointments we can't move we take and don't make time up. That's because, although we don't track hours, most of us put in a bit extra from time to time. It's very much about give and take and respect. If it was going to be longer than an hour out of work or at a difficult time, we use our lunch and make up some time. As long as you don't take the mick, work are fine.

mintysaucy · 21/05/2023 13:22

Unpaid have to make the time up.

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Mary46 · 21/05/2023 13:23

Am lucky as school bus run so Im free mid morning for doctors etc. As others say not always easy get times to suit. In office job he wasnt flexible at all so couldnt go to apts unless in evening time.

lazarusb · 21/05/2023 13:25

Paid and approved leave and no details needed.

DD works in admin in the NHS and has to take unpaid time off or make up the hours. Which doesn't really seem right to me.

woodlandtrees · 21/05/2023 13:31

I tell my line manager , block out my diary and go.

Likes wise for the ones I line manage.

In fairness my appointments are rare.

If appointments are regular then a different conversation but still wouldn't expect time to be taken off unpaid. The exception is of some elective surgery - boob or bum enhancement 🤣

IamSlave · 21/05/2023 13:36

I'm confused as to where some posters live.
To even see a doctor around here is gold dust there is no way I could choose when that appt is!

woodlandtrees · 21/05/2023 13:44

IamSlave · 21/05/2023 13:36

I'm confused as to where some posters live.
To even see a doctor around here is gold dust there is no way I could choose when that appt is!

Exactly!

weightogetthere · 21/05/2023 13:49

2 hrs for a dr, 4 hrs for a hospital appointment, no questions asked, all paid.

Mary46 · 21/05/2023 13:50

Agree sometimes you have to take whatever time you get at doctors as hard to get it!

mynewusername2023 · 21/05/2023 13:50

I've had sick pay for elective surgery but it wasn't cosmetic so was treated differently.

We don't get asked questions unless they are worried about us.

RuthW · 21/05/2023 13:51

Hospital apps you get paid time off. Same with mammogram.

Doctors or dentist it's annual leave or make time up. You are expected to go on you day off if you can.

Riverlee · 21/05/2023 13:52

We have to make the time up, or book time off.

SirenSays · 21/05/2023 13:55

Always encouraged to use annual leave but leave has to be booked weeks in advance. My local clinic is great and has a form to give to employers that basically says Mind your business.

Kyse23 · 21/05/2023 13:56

IamSlave · 21/05/2023 13:36

I'm confused as to where some posters live.
To even see a doctor around here is gold dust there is no way I could choose when that appt is!

NW. they've set up a new thing at my doctors where you can go evenings and weekends but it'll be a different surgery/doctor
Or if I ring in the morning or afternoon they'll give me an appointment and I tell work when it is and that I need to go
Chronic conditions so if I get say a UTI, I need seeing that day

dogsanddolphines · 21/05/2023 13:56

Well we do flexi-time (so make up the hours later) but otherwise it'll be sick leave.
Certainly not annual leave!

dogsanddolphines · 21/05/2023 13:58

lazarusb · 21/05/2023 13:25

Paid and approved leave and no details needed.

DD works in admin in the NHS and has to take unpaid time off or make up the hours. Which doesn't really seem right to me.

Can she not take sick leave?
I suppose the question here isn't paid leave, but what 'category'.
Unless staff are pregnant or disabled appointments come under sick leave.
And ours is the same as yours - sick leave doesn't need any details (unless it's more than 5 days).

lemonyellows · 21/05/2023 13:59

We have to make the time up which is fair

Heatherjayne1972 · 21/05/2023 14:11

Has to be in our own time ideally
people book ME 3/4/ 6 months ahead - no way can I ‘just have a morning off ‘
it would need to be a/l but im contracted to give 6 weeks notice at the absolute minimum for a/l
(Standard reply is no for any reason if I ask within 6 weeks notice )

I also have my first patient at 8am ( phone locked away during work hours) so cannot even phone gp for appt

nightmare. But that’s the job I agreed to

Babyroobs · 21/05/2023 14:32

Ours are very accommodating. Even staff who work 2.5 days a week seem to be able to take time off for Drs, dentists, opticial , taking pets to the vets, taking car for it's MOT, picking car up from it's MOT etc in their 2.5 working days. I sometimes am gobsmacked at what people get away with.

Babyroobs · 21/05/2023 14:33

Babyroobs · 21/05/2023 14:32

Ours are very accommodating. Even staff who work 2.5 days a week seem to be able to take time off for Drs, dentists, opticial , taking pets to the vets, taking car for it's MOT, picking car up from it's MOT etc in their 2.5 working days. I sometimes am gobsmacked at what people get away with.

I even went for an interview in work time a couple of weeks ago. told my manager I had an appointment, she never asked where or what for.

Pushkinia · 21/05/2023 15:58

I’m a teacher with a disability. Hospital appointments are allowed with no loss of pay. GP/dentist/optician/physio have to be outside work hours, which effectively means only during the holidays if you work full time.

lazarusb · 21/05/2023 18:46

I just feel that when routine or initial check ups are needed, they shouldn't necessarily be taken as sick leave but that employers should treat their employees as responsible adults and not penalising them for just looking after their health.

Wishing4sunshine · 21/05/2023 18:47

I don't know if we have a policy but if my team have medical appointments I just say yes that fine and off they go.

ANewAdventure · 21/05/2023 18:50

I’ve (civil service) always just informed my manager and gone to them. No expectation of making the time up, but if it put me behind in getting my work done I’d probably do some extra somewhere.