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Original poster

How do you manage attending appointments when you work full time?

31 replies

Gymmum82 · 21/04/2025 10:22

I returned to full time work in December having worked part time for the past several years whilst the children were small.
Work 9-5, no WFH options available. No flexi working.
In the past 2 months I’ve needed time off 4 times for child’s hospital appointments.
2 GP appointments for myself. I have a dentist appointment in a couple of weeks. I need to see a physio about an ongoing problem with my leg. I also need my car serviced and MOT done.

All in all it’s a lot of time off. How do other people manage this? Currently I’m using all of my annual leave to take time off for these appointments and I’m wondering how this is sustainable? I’ll have none left soon for actual holidays or time off for covering school holidays. Is this just normal for full time work? Previously I would have organised them all for my days off. It just feels so unsustainable

OP posts:
Titasaducksarse · 21/04/2025 10:24

Special leave for health appointments
Car I take after work and drop keys off and pick up next day in lunch break.

faerietales · 21/04/2025 10:24

You arrange your appointments for before/after work where possible, or in your lunch breaks. If your car is in the garage, ask for a courtesy car. You can ask for time off and then work the hours back (not always possible, but an option for some people) or just wait until you're on annual leave and book everything for then.

Octavia64 · 21/04/2025 10:25

Health appointments for you should be able to be taken.

mot is either annual leave or drop it off before work and get the bus/train/bike organise a lift.

mindutopia · 21/04/2025 10:26

Time off for my own medical appointments has always been paid. I work in an industry where we just mark off on our calendars that we won’t be there and go. No expectation to make up the time as long as work is done. I certainly would not be using my AL for it.

For children’s appointments, it would be the same, but I’d be a bit more expected to make up the time. In your case, this might be one of those times when you use annual leave. But I’d be exploring your HR leave policy to see what your options are.

faerietales · 21/04/2025 10:27

Health appointments for you should be able to be taken.

I'd guess the issue is that they're likely to be unpaid and OP can't afford to take the time off.

Gingernaut · 21/04/2025 10:27

Annual leave

Goldenboysmum · 21/04/2025 10:28

Car can be booked in on a Saturday or some garages offer a pickup/drop off service although may charge for this.

GP appointments, could you get as late as possible, finish work an hour early and ask to make up the time over yiur lunch breaks?

Special leave for children's hospital appointments.

Can you get physio through your work, I can and I can go and then go back to work.

Loveduppenguin · 21/04/2025 10:28

Depending on the appointment etc I use my break times or flexi time as I have that option. Tomorrow I have to drop something to my solicitor so I’ll use my breakfast break to do that. On Thursday morning I have an optician appointment so I’ll use flexi time/breakfast break as such but I’m working from home anyway so it’s a bit easier.
my boss doesn’t care…I get my work done.

Octavia64 · 21/04/2025 10:29

Physio - you need to find one that works Saturdays or later in the evening,

I’m disabled and have had ongoing physio for nearly ten years now. My first one I did Saturday mornings for a few years and then I got a regular Thursday mornings slot and came in an hour late to work and they let me make it up that day, I’ve also had ones where I went in my lunchtime or straight after work

JWR · 21/04/2025 10:30

Things like children’s appointments and car stuff were shared 50/50 with DH.

CatRescueNeeded · 21/04/2025 10:30

Is the kids Dad in the picture? He should be covering half of the medical appointments (I know it’s difficult as you often want to attend yourself)

at my garage you can drop the car off first thing and pop the keys through the door - is that an option?

my dentist is also open until 7pm on a Tuesday (and 6pm a couple of other days). You have to book in 3 months in advance to get the late appointments but definitely worth doing for routine work

Overthebow · 21/04/2025 10:31

I just go and then make up the time. Car appointments though I take care of tot he garage early then go to work and pick up after or the next day.

Simonjt · 21/04/2025 10:33

Car at weekends
Dentist evening appointment
Children you should only need to do half the appointments
GP again unless an emergency go for appointments after 5pm

Darkclothes · 21/04/2025 10:34

Are you a single parent? If not, you need to share out the child's appointments with your partner.

For your own appointments that you can't change, have you asked whether you could attend the appointment and make up the time to avoid taking annual leave or unpaid leave? or only take a 1/2 day leave instead of a whole day

mynameiscalypso · 21/04/2025 10:34

They’ve always been paid where I’ve worked. The expectation is that you’ll make the time up but, in reality, so long as you get through the work that you need to do, nobody cares. I have lots of medical appointments at the moment and I just let people know if I’ll be unavailable for a bit.

Gettingbysomehow · 21/04/2025 10:35

We have to take annual leave, I work in the NHS so I reserve a couple of days just for that and just take a couple of hours when I need them.

toffeeappleturnip · 21/04/2025 10:35

Annual leave (luckily we can take ours an hour at a time so make appointment for start or end of day)
Occupational health can vouch for you if you have an ongoing illness that needs physio - you need to ask HR for this.
MOT's can be done on a Saturday if you book well in advance.
Dentists often run appointments until 6pm so I make them well in advance for myself and child.
Haircuts on a Saturday.
Hospitals are now booking outpatients appointments (scans/xrays etc) on Sundays for adults and children.

Loopytiles · 21/04/2025 10:36

Work should provide paid time off for your personal medical and essential dental appointments.

most employers have policies regarding time off relating to DC. As PPs say you should share this with your partner, if you have one.

Car servicing etc in work hours - annual leave.

GoatCatTaco · 21/04/2025 10:36

Car: drop it off on a Wednesday after-work, and shove keys through letterbox. Walk home. Take DHs car to work the next day (making sure he is wfh). Call back in on Thursday early evening - their late opening night - to collect keys. Drive one car home, walk back, collect other car. DH takes his laptop, and sits in reception working til its done...

Medical - get first or last appointment of the day.

OR take one day off, and stack all the appointments on that one day /half day.

MigGril · 21/04/2025 10:39

I'm only 4 days a week, so do try and do everything on my day off. But not always possible, medical appointments for me work allow time off. If it's for the kids and not on my day off DH can mostly take then as his work is more flexible and he works from home some days. If not then I have to take them and make up the time.

Car when I've had to do it on a work day there is a good garage just round the corner from work so I drop it there in the morning and pick it up after work. But some garages do Saturday MOT'S so that is useful also.

RosesAndHellebores · 21/04/2025 10:39

You box and Cox.
As many appointments in the evening or on Saturdays as possible.

DC appointments, probably a/l or make up the time. Most employers are reasonable but you do seem to have had a lot of apps since December.

I have been known to take a day of a/l and fit in Dr, dentist, optician, etc.

when I have my rheumatology appointments, they run so late, I can't stand the stress of ootentially having to rearrange a meeting so I tend to take the day off now. Especially if the appointment's at 11am.

I think accessing NHS services is a significant issue for working people and there is very little NHS cognizance of this. I have always thought that slots from 8am to 8.40am and after 6 should be reserved for working people.

When I used public transport for work, I dropped my car to the garage and put the keys through the letter box. Paid for the car and collected it from their car park the following day and collected my keys when I could.

faerietales · 21/04/2025 10:41

Work should provide paid time off for your personal medical and essential dental appointments.

There's no legal requirement for employers to pay for time off related medical appointments. Many will "allow" it but it will be unpaid or you have to make the time up somehow.

Original poster
Gymmum82 · 21/04/2025 11:10

Thanks for all the responses. Dentist does not work outside of 9-5. NHS dentist which I recognise I’m lucky to get. I have booked the first appointment though so will go in late but will still have to use annual leave for the hours that I miss.

The problem with the car is that without it I can’t get to work, so there doesn’t seem to be an alternative aside from take annual leave. I can’t find a garage local enough that is open on weekends.

Kids appointments, yes I could have shared with DH but DC didn’t want her dad there she wanted me and since it was for a broken arm that required surgery I didn’t feel I could share with her dad, it was pretty traumatic for her.

I don’t know where people are that get to pick and choose times for their GP appointments. Where I am you get what you’re given and you’re lucky to even get that without a struggle. The first one they telephoned me asking me to come in half an hour and when I explained I was 45 minutes away at work they said I’d have to try again the following day. Absolutely no leeway in times at all.
I guess there is no easy way round unless you have flexi or WFH options or your employer gives you time off so I’ll have to continue to use my annual leave. Just another thing id not considered to factor in when I returned full time

OP posts:
faerietales · 21/04/2025 11:16

The problem with the car is that without it I can’t get to work, so there doesn’t seem to be an alternative aside from take annual leave. I can’t find a garage local enough that is open on weekends.

Most garages will have courtesy cars you can borrow.

Loopytiles · 21/04/2025 11:18

I don’t think employers can require you to take annual leave for personal medical / dental appointments.