Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that if you take a day off to look after your sick child

127 replies

cuteboots · 14/12/2011 13:37

You shouldnt be made to take it as a days holiday? Especially as I havent got any holiday left this next year so they have taken a day off me for next year??? How does that work when it wasnt bloody holiday and I spent it cleaning up puke for most of the day!! Am I being a bit oversensitive???

OP posts:
AbbyAbsinthe · 14/12/2011 14:02

I believe the rule is that they have to give it to you as dependency leave, which is unpaid. If you want paid leave for it, you will have to use a days holiday.

choceyes · 14/12/2011 14:05

At my work (university) and my DH's job (teacher) we can each take up to 5 days paid leave for family emergencies. This is what we do when our DCs are ill. I know some companies don't though.

Kladdkaka · 14/12/2011 14:07

Come an live in Sweden. Here all parents get paid time off to look after sick children, take them to the doctors/hospital appointments etc until they are 16 (I think) and 19 if they are autistic (I know this one).

AMumInScotland · 14/12/2011 14:07

I believe you have a legal entitlement to take it as unpaid leave, though there's a limit to how much in a year. So if you contact your payroll/HR/manager you should be able to get it changed, if that's what you want.

It depends if you are shorter of money or annual leave!

wannaBe · 14/12/2011 14:08

I don't think the unpaid parental leave is that straightforward. In fact, at dh's work you have to give 28 days notice, so it wouldn't be any use for a random day off with a sick child.

Seona1973 · 14/12/2011 14:08

there is an entitlement to parental leave of up to 13 weeks if you have worked for over 1 year and your child is under 5 (or under 18 if your child is disabled) but has to be taken in 1 week blocks (and no more than 4 weeks per year).

xxhunnyxx · 14/12/2011 14:10

IMO you're lucky to be to take it as annual leave, I would rather that than to take it unpaid which dependant leave is in most, if not all companies.
My company won't allow me to take annual leave unless it's been booked at least a day in advance and there was nobody else off on my team.
Therefore if I ring up to tell them I can't come in because I need to look after DS to mop up his sick, it is unpaid. If there is nobody off the following day then I can book that day as holiday to save a day pay.
Agree with others though - surely u don't expect to be paid when you're j

xxhunnyxx · 14/12/2011 14:12

sorry posted that before I finished...
Surely u don't really expect to get paid when you're not there? If they did then nobody would ever go in!

AMumInScotland · 14/12/2011 14:14

Time off for dependants - this is the relevant section from the Direct Gov website. It's available to all employees, and covers any "emergency" situation involving a dependant. So a suddenly sick child, a sudden problem with childcare, or similar issues with an adult who depends on you.

But it has to be short-term and an emergency - it certainly covers a puking child for a day!

MistletoeAndFlump · 14/12/2011 14:15

I agree that it's a shit way to spend a 'holiday' but you have to suck it up. You can ask for a day of unpaid leave, as others have said.

If you are allowed 'extra' holiday to look after children, it is hugely unfair to other workers without children, surely?

Maybe next time you should catch the same bug as your DC, then you can 'legitimately' have a sick day...

BlueCat2010 · 14/12/2011 14:17

Yes you can take time off for dependants, but it is unpaid!

Quenelle · 14/12/2011 14:19

I know it sucks OP but it's not the employer's fault you're not at work. I always save a few days from my holiday entitlement in case DS is ill. In 25 years I have never come across a company that gives paid carers' or family days.

FunnysInTheGarden · 14/12/2011 14:22

it is a total PITA OP. I had so many days off with sick DC this year that I have had to take some of it as holiday this year and carry over 4 days to next year, leaving me with a total of 21 days holiday next year. That is provided the DC aren't ill next year AT ALL, otherwise I may have even less holiday next year

sarahtigh · 14/12/2011 14:27

parental leave can only be taken and with notice; it is meant to be in 1 week blocks, it can be refused if inconvienent but it must be allowed within 6 months so if you request 4 weeks off in january and its very busy they can refuse but the 4 week block must be given before end of june, it is a total of 13 weeks between birth and 16 and no more than 4 weeks per year

parental leave can not be taken in odd days or hours, if you are given emergency leave it is normally a max of 1 day to arrange child care though it might just be a few hours it depends,

holiday means paid time off work unfortunately if you happen to be sick when you have booked annual leave it is still annual leave not sick pay

you can ask for unpaid leave or make hours up but they don't have to agree,

next year save 3-4 days holiday as most companies will allow you to carry a few days forward into the next year though you might have to use them within a certain time frame

sorry its not want you want to hear but that's how it is

Original poster
cuteboots · 14/12/2011 14:27

normally Im covered and try and keep a few spare days holiday to cover this but he has had a few more days off than normal and its caught me out !!!

OP posts:
minciepie · 14/12/2011 14:29

What everyone else said and especially what AMumInScotland linked to.

Employees have a right to take unpaid emergency leave to deal with home emergencies like a sick child.

So, OP, which would you prefer - an unpaid day, or a paid day but taken off next year's holiday?

There is also parental leave - unpaid leave of up to 13 weeks before your child's 5 birthday I think - but you have to plan this quite a long way in advance, and take at least a week at a time, so it's more for spending more time with your DC than for one off emergency days.

hairytaleofnewyork · 14/12/2011 14:59

"If you've worked there for a year you are entitled to up to six weeks"

Not so. You are entitled to unpaid emergency caters leave to make other arrangements.

Parental leave is something entirely different.

DrCoconut · 14/12/2011 19:56

I'm facing the same thing. DS2 has been in hospital and me and DH have had to arrange to look after him this week. I can't officially have time off this week (education) so I'm having to go in next week to pay back the time. Sucks as I'd planned fun activities with DS's but that is what I have to do or lose £150 pay which we can't afford.

bunnyspoiler · 14/12/2011 20:16

We can take up to 8 per year paid where I work, in batches of up to 3 days. Some people really take the mick with this.

zoe1234 · 14/12/2011 20:45

No, i dont think you are being unreasonable.

I think in this day and age when both men and women work [who both may have children], they should be supported equally and so should family life. A happier workforce is a better workforce.

This country is seriously backwards compared to some other european ones and unfortuantely things are only getting worse.

As for the argument that it's not fair on those without children...

  1. they may have kids one day themselves, or had kids
  2. all sickness is monitered
  3. more people i know without kids actually take more sick leave than those with kids because those with kids dont take time off when they are themselves sick... in order to afford to take time off when their kids are ill [myself included].

Shouldn't we be supporting a type of 'parental leave' not saying it's not right that you don't get paid. Maybe even half pay for that day would be a start?!

zoe1234 · 14/12/2011 20:48

the bottom line is, when your children are being sick, they cant go to a childminders or school. just like an adult can't go into work. the child needs to be at home and preferebly with a parent.

still, profits before anything else here, eh.

Meglet · 14/12/2011 20:52

I take it as un-paid leave. I'm not wasting a days leave stuck in the house.

frasersmummy · 14/12/2011 20:52

I work for a very big firm and we can have up to 5 days excused leave for emergencies ..

Its not just for sick kids, its for elderly mum has fallen over, pipe has burst in house etc etc...

I dont normally use mine but this year has been awful and have really appreciated the time

Oh that all firms could afford it eh?

Adversecamber · 14/12/2011 20:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GreatBallsOfFluff · 14/12/2011 20:57

We get one day's paid leave to sort out emergency childcare if your child is ill, but after that it's either holiday or unpaid.