Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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 my brothers employer isn't being unfair

129 replies

nasewa · 14/12/2013 18:22

My brother is on the bone marrow register and he has been matched with someone who needs a donation of his bone marrow. So in a couple of weeks he is going to London to have some taken from him. He is going to have some GA and have to stay in hospital in a couple of weeks. His employers is making him take holiday for this rather than sick because of the voluntary nature of this. My sister is incredulous at this and thinks that they shouldn't make him do this but I can see their point.

OP posts:
RedLondonBus · 14/12/2013 18:24

yep,can see their point too

LeaveTheBastid · 14/12/2013 18:24

I can see their point too. Where would it end if they gave everyone paid time off for doing good deeds, no matter how grand or small?

Delurkedforthis · 14/12/2013 18:27

Hmmm, yes so can I. I mean big ups to him and everything and good on him a million times....but his laudable gesture may mean that his colleagues have to work longer/harder to cover for him and the employer is kind of backed into 'what if everyone did this'.

Hmmm....I'm torn, because we need lots of people like your brother....

BarleyBo · 14/12/2013 18:27

I guess if it is a national company who turn over massive profits it would be a shame that they couldn't let him take it as sick leave. However if it is a small company this could put financial strain on them.

I can see if from both sides of the coin. I personally would have assumed I would have to take it as holiday when I signed up.

Delurkedforthis · 14/12/2013 18:27

Sorry I should NOT have used the word 'gesture'...it's way more than that.

GodRestTEEMerryGenTEEmen · 14/12/2013 18:29

I absolutely would expect to have to take it as holiday if I worked for a company.

He's not ill. He's doing this voluntarily.

SofaKing · 14/12/2013 18:30

I suppose they do have a point.

Horrendous to read if you are waiting for a bone marrow transplant, the thought that you might die because someone has to take two weeks of their holiday to save your life, and therefore may not bother going on the register in the first place.

No, sorry, I can't agree they have a point. He is going through considerable pain and suffering to save someone's life, and if they cannot give him time off work to do so they are very unpleasant people indeed.

Original poster
nasewa · 14/12/2013 18:31

sorry I meant a couple of days off not weeks

OP posts:
DoYouLikeMyBaubles · 14/12/2013 18:32

He's doing an amazing deed, but yes he should take a holiday for it.

I can't take time off every time I want to donate blood.

redshifter · 14/12/2013 18:32

I can see their point too. It would be nice to give him time off in this case but I suppose they have to draw the line somewhere.
In a previous job I had one colleague was given time off to run a marathon (he raised tens of thousands), then another person was given weeks off to do that Kilamanjaro charity thing.

Before they knew it they were getting hundreds of requests for time off for similar things and had to make judgements on whose voluntary efforts were worthy enough.

In the end they had refuse all requests for this sort of thing.

Though in your brothers case it does seem more deserving to me.

scaevola · 14/12/2013 18:33

Well, some employers give recuperation time off following sterilisation (because to are recuperating from surgery) and some don't (because the surgery was choice, not medically required).

This is medically required, but the requirement is that of someone who is not their employee. So I can't fault their stance. Though I would like to see kinder terms to those who voluntarily undergo invasive procedures out of altruism.

notapizzaeater · 14/12/2013 18:34

Can he not appeal ? I always thought you had a right to time off of blood donors?

I thought now its just a couple of days off work (Am on register) and no where near as bad as its used to be.

Well done to your brother Smile

ParcelFancy · 14/12/2013 18:36

He should point out the PR bonus to them if they give him sick leave and call in the local paper.

As long as it won't actually break the company, it's win-win-win: company gets puff, bone marrow donation gets puff, recipient gets marrow.

The only person who gets nothing from it is your brother - except enormous and heartily deserved warm and fuzzies. And a big thanks from the rest of the population.

Whitershadeofpale · 14/12/2013 18:36

I can see their point but I think they're on slightly dodgy ground with their logic. Your DB will be too ill to work it's just that it's intentional. What if he was having elective surgery? Or ill through misadventure? It would be the same principle IMO but he'd have those as sick not annual leave.

Perfectlypurple · 14/12/2013 18:38

Where I work if you have elective surgery you have to take leave.

ParcelFancy · 14/12/2013 18:38

redshifter, "charity" Kilimanjaro climbers are often indulging their hobby. It's great that they raise money for charidee as well, but that's not the same as something purely altruistic like tissue donation.

Alanna1 · 14/12/2013 18:40

Has he asked if he could take it as unpaid leave?

TalkieToaster · 14/12/2013 18:43

I used to work in the civil service. The day of the procedure and maybe a few days after would be considered for paid special leave. If there were any complications from it that meant the donor needed to be off longer, then those extra days would be counted as sick leave.

FunkyBoldRibena · 14/12/2013 18:45

Usually the policy is that people have to take any paid leave before taking any unpaid. I think it's amazing that he is doing this but the factor of losing two days leave needs to be part of the decision making process.

Laquitar · 14/12/2013 18:48

Are you sure that he has to stay in hospital for two weeks? Years ago i was in similar situation and i was told it will be only 2-3 days.

XmasLogAndHollyOn · 14/12/2013 18:48

I'm with the employer, sorry.

Original poster
nasewa · 14/12/2013 18:49

I don't know about unpaid leave but to be honest he is very poorly paid (he's an admin assistant)and so probably wouldn't take it if offered.

OP posts:
Original poster
nasewa · 14/12/2013 18:50

Laquitar- Its two days (sorry I mistyped weeks in the OP.)

OP posts:
Trills · 14/12/2013 18:50

It would be kind of them to let him take it, but it's not unfair of them to say that if you are doing something voluntarily it does not count as "sick leave".

HildaOgden · 14/12/2013 18:50

I'm wondering why he is donating bone marrow,as he is obviously ill?Does the recipient need to be injected with some of your brothers bone marrow to help aid rejection or something?If so,then it is part of your brothers treatment,so should be classed as sick leave.

Sorry if that's a really ignorant question,I know next to nothing about the practicalities of donations.

Swipe left for the next trending thread