Need a day off work but they are refusing

[Treeforme]

I wondered if anyone could help.

I need a few hours off work shortly due to disabilities within the family. However I am being refused this leave. I have asked for it to be annual leave , parental, carers, unpaid making up my hours. But it is being denied, due to being too busy. However when I have offered reasonable solutions it’s still been refused.

Could anyone advise?

I’d start looking for another job and phone in sick. Why work with a bunch of arseholes ?
Family needs come first

It will be an emergency when the day arrives and no alternative arrangements were possible

I had a similar argument with my employer some years ago now, they did eventually back down and allow me the leave.

I knew in advance my childcare had fallen through and I couldn't get anyone to cover it so I tried to request the day off but was refused. Was told it wasn't an emergency as I knew in advance, kindly told them it would become an emergency on the day when I have no child cover. I did try but there was simply nobody available.

I knew they were going to be short on the day my childcare fell through so thought I was doing them a favour letting them know in advance, never again though! Had to swing through hoops to be granted it.

If you have three days notice, or however many the OP has, of something occurring that is the time you should be arranging whatever is necessary. You don’t do nothing and then call it an emergency. The OPs employer knows that they have had time to arrange something as they previously have requested the leave so they can’t now do nothing claim that it is an emergency and not expect a consequence.

can you change the appointment?

You could take a week off as stress leave /medical leave. They can't discipline you for this, unless you have reached any trigger points for absence. I presume the situation is causing you stress etc?
Even if you had a disciplinary meeting you wouldn't lose your job over this.

You could also just take unauthorised leave and tell them you are going to do this. In my place of work unless this happens more than once you would get a slap on the wrist and unpaid leave.

If you have a clean employment record, not much they can do. Check your absence policy.

You don't seem to understand. Sometimes there are no arrangements that can be made. Sometimes you just have to be somewhere else for a very good reason.

I have been in the same situation as OP, although I knew in advance my childcare had fallen through, I couldn't get any alternative arrangements.

If I can't find alternative arrangements 2 weeks in advance, not a chance am I going to find any on the actual day, how is that not an emergency?

I actually thought I was doing the respsonsile thing by letting them know in advance rather than leave them short on the day.

I did end up getting the leave authorised but not without jumping through hoops. Emergencies aren't always short notice!

I have been in situation in the past, like you,OP where I knew I’d need a certain day off. First time I was refused I knew I would never ask again.
From then on, if I needed a day off for a particular reason, I’d keep quiet about it and just phone in on the day with a migraine.
Some employers just know how to shoot themselves in the foot !

OP, a few people have asked if you have taken a lot of time off already, and you haven't really responded to those questions directly.

Have you already taken more time off for your caring responsibilities that would take you over the statutory entitlement? Because obviously, this will impact on your options for handling the situation.

The OP also hasn’t said what the impact on the business would be of her taking the time off. She has said that if she takes the time she wants, there will be nobody working/no cover. We don’t know her job so don’t know how much that matters. It’s all very well people saying just don’t turn up but what’s the impact of that?

I used to be flexible but always made up my hours.

what is the statutory requirements for days off?

there wouldn’t be an impact as I said I would make up the hours the same day

How many times did you ask for flexibility and in what span of time?

Seems odd if they were previously happy to be flexible, are still happy to be flexible with others, but have now stopped completely with you. Can you think of anything that may have triggered the change?

I Stand up for myself and question things. they do not like that I do.

I was always flexible over around a year. Then was called up and told I’ve never been allowed it? Bizarre.

You're not answering the question which had been repeatedly asked.

Which one sorry?

How much flexibility you’ve requested previously.

They said I could work whatever I wanted within those set days, right at the start. That’s why I took the job. They said I could make up my hours or take them unpaid. There was no set amount.

But what happens for the period when there’s no cover? Would the business have to close? Would there be customers/clients trying to get in touch?

If it’s a back room office and there’s no impact on anyone else of you doing your hours earlier/later then fair enough, your employer is being unreasonable (although I agree with others that you have maybe (from the employer’s point of view) taken too much time in the past and they’re clamping down). However if it impacts others then you can understand why the business can’t just agree to you having time off when there’s no cover, no matter how important your reason.

When you say you were always flexible for a whole year, do you mean you regularly used to get to work late/leave early? As being flexible for the odd thing is different to literally just turning up when you want every day?! How often did you not do your proper hours?

For example in my job we are expected to work 37 hrs per week but we have formal flexible working so we can work any time between 7am and 7pm (but we must be there at core hours 10-3).

If you haven't got formal flexible working, then the situation is different so typically someone would likely be expected most days to work 9-5 for example. But saying there is some flexibility may mean that they don't mind the odd 3pm finish for a doctor's appointment or sick child or the odd 11am start for a school play and finish a bit later etc.. maybe they don't expect this flexibility to be required that many times a year? Have you taken the piss a bit??

You’ve not answered the question of how often have you requested your employer let you take time off

Easy to say bit it's getting time out of work for interviews and sneaking about. Why are so many of you telling her to pull a sickie for a day she's asked to have off already and been refused! Her bosses won't be thick!