having to take unpaid leave to pick a sick child up early from school?

[dalmationdotty]

So last week at work, school call mid morning to say DS2 is poorly, they really feel he ought to go home. School usually are pretty robust at keeping kids in welfare and only really call if feel they need to go. DS2 was feeling sick and light headed. Anyway I tell my boss if I can leave at lunchtime after I do my mornings work. Its around 11am. get several more calls from school to say DS2 now being sick. Rush to try and finish off what am doing. Colleague says she will cover me for afternoon. Leave around midday. Anyway today boys says would i like to make up my hours for the afternoon taken off of take it as unpaid leave? I have never taken time off for kids illness before. I usually either bring child to work if not too unwell or have found cover. Also colleague that covered me was asked to invoice for her overtime but she said no its fine as we all cover each other in times of need and if she had to dash off she'd hope work would be fine with it. They tell her how admirable of you, thanks. So I am now making up the hours on my day off, that my colleague has covered free of charge???? Seems wrong?

The usual working parents thread, loads of people without kids getting a gripe on. For god sake the woman is a a single mum having to get her sick child. And most people are missing the original point of the post.

Every boss I've worked for has been happy for us to 'swan off' a few hours early for doctors appointments, dentist check ups, avoiding travel problems on days when there is a strike etc
Hell, sometimes I even leave early sometimes to use the gym when it is quiet

You do realise not all jobs work like that, right? You can't always just wander out of work whenever you fancy!

Can I just say for those criticising me for not leaving immediately to go and get my child. I wasn’t able to leave early. I had a duty of care to my patients waiting to see me and no one else to take over immediately. My child was in no imminent danger. I told the school I would leave as soon as I could and I did. It’s a difficult balance isn’t it? And without going into all my life’s and jobs details it’s hard to explain and therefore for some of you to grasp that in some jobs you can’t just walk out the door! If someone is having a total breakdown on me I can’t just cut them off and say can you pull yourself together as nows not convenient and come back later! Hope that makes it a little clearer for some of you?

Yes adaline, if course I do

But it was in response to another poster snippily suggesting that leaving work early to collect a sick child is some outrageous perk which has no equivalence for those without children
Which is bollocks on several levels

It does seem harsh when you regularly go over your hours. If you pretty much always go iber though, I'd pick making up the hours rather than annual leave and just inform them going forwrd that you did x hours per day to make up the time on these days, outside your contracted hours? Or are they wanting you to come in on your days off or something,?

My work pays everybody 2 days a year emergency leave. That can be due to children, spouses, parents, home emergencies or similar. After that it depends on the circumstances but it is normally a mix of additional paid leave, annual leave and unpaid leave.

I am lucky, DH works from home with a lot more flexibility so he can pick up but if it is something more than just one day we have to check who can stay home/do childcare easier.

I would ask for your companies official rules about parental emergency leave. It may b worth making suggestion, originally my company only did the 2 days for parents but when some colleagues mentioned that there are more emergencies than just with children the boss and HR took it on board and changed the rules.

"The usual working parents thread, loads of people without kids getting a gripe on."

I don't think the people saying the OP is being unreasonable have identified whether they are parents or not. Neither have most of the posters saying she is being reasonable.

I don't think working mothers should be stereotyped as employees always looking for special treatment. But neither should non parents be stereotyped as begrudgers.

Can I just say for those criticising me for not leaving immediately to go and get my child. I wasn’t able to leave early.

Been there, too. Although mine was clients rather than patients. We'd usually have to finish up our current interview. Although our manager took charge of rearranging schedules for cover, it wasn't our responsibility to find cover for ourselves. And the manager would be expected to step in him/herself and take over in the case of a 'you have to get here NOW' situation.