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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - employee always booking appointments during the work day

224 replies

Glitttter · 17/08/2021 15:03

I am a small business owner with 3 members of staff. We've been working remotely like so many other people. 2 of them are brilliant, dedicated etc. the third woman just seems not to pull her weight, which might be the basis of why Im annoyed. However, recently, she keeps needing to start work late, disappear in the day, or leave early, for dentist/eye test/routine check up appointments.

My gripe is that she works part time, but always seems to arrange these routine appointments for days when she's working. AIBU to expect her to arrange appointments in her own time - at least mostly - instead of missing work to do so?

OP posts:
Gwenhwyfar · 17/08/2021 16:10

@Dixiechickonhols

What does her contract say. If it specifies appointments should be arranged outside work hours where possible and if not time to be made up just refer her to that. That was standard in private firms I’ve worked in.
And how the hell would that work with the GP? Completely unworkable and unfair.
nordica · 17/08/2021 16:10

Booking anything has got a lot more difficult in the past year because there's such a large backlog and appointments are in demand. I just had an eye test last week and it was the only appointment available after a two week wait. Another opticians I considered at first had a note on their website to say they have nothing available in August unless it's an emergency.

So sometimes it's understandable to have to take an appointment that is offered, even if it's during the working day. But if I ever do that, then I obviously make up the time afterwards and would expect others in my team to do that and not just use appointments as extra time off.

Famousinlove · 17/08/2021 16:11

I would be making sure she is not paid for any time that she is out of the office when she should be working, or if she missed an hour of work during the day she finishes an hour later to make up for it

SpottyTablecloths · 17/08/2021 16:12

Do NOT wait til her performance review. Speak to her now.

If it is pissing you off it is quite probably pissing off your other employees.

I worked part time. Always did routine stuff outside of working hours. Only exception would be immovable emergency dental work (root-canal chap only worked Mondays) and hospital appointments. For these, without fail I made up the time.

Singlebutmarried · 17/08/2021 16:12

Is she salaried or hourly paid. If the former move her to the latter, if she’s not getting paid it’ll focus the mind a bit more.

SofiaMichelle · 17/08/2021 16:12

@Glitttter reviews are not the time for bringing up issues like this.

You need to manage her attendance and performance at the time the issue arises, not months in the future.

No good ever comes of kicking the can down the road when managing staff.

toothpicklover · 17/08/2021 16:12

Have you actually told her that she needs to rebook her appointments and not make anymore during working hours though? She’s not a mind reader!

Gwenhwyfar · 17/08/2021 16:13

"GP appointments are a bit of a grey area as generally if you need one you're already at home"

That has never been the case for me. If I'm ill at home, it will either be a heavy cold/flu or a gastro that does not require a doctor if it goes away quickly. Every time I've been to the GP it's because of long lasting problems that I don't have to be ill in bed with.

ThorsLeftNut · 17/08/2021 16:14

Consistently it’s annoying, yes.

However as devils advocate here - I have an insane dentist fear and after years of work I can only see one dentist, who only works Thursdays 9-4! If I worked part time but was scheduled to work Thursdays, I wouldn’t really have a choice.

The better answer for me is to get comfortable with another dentist 😂

nonsensicalmess · 17/08/2021 16:15

I work part-time and nearly always manage to schedule all appointments outside of working hours. She's taking the piss. I'd note the appointments she's had recently and have an initial informal chat about it - how her appointments are seriously eating into her working day/producutivity and could she try and schedule them on days she's not working wherever possible, or as early/late in working day as possible. If no improvement, move to something more formal as her productivity is seriously impacted.

I'd also consider drafting a policy regarding appointments - even if you haven't needed it in the past, you do now!

girlmom21 · 17/08/2021 16:15

@ThorsLeftNut but what are the chances of your dentist, optician, GP and chiropractor all only working Thursdays Grin

Gwenhwyfar · 17/08/2021 16:16

"Dentist and eye test should happen once a year"

Who the f are you to say how often people need to see the dentist or an eye test. If you have problems with your teeth you may need to see the dentist a lot. I can go on Saturday to my private dentist, but I don't know if I could choose if I had an NHS one and I definitely couldn't choose when I had hospital treatment. Even if you don't have big problems, you may be advised to go for a checkup every 6 to 9 months.

As for eye tests, I don't know how often you're supposed to go, but I only go every two years because I can't afford glasses more often than that. Our work makes our eyes deteriorate if we work with computers, but most workplaces will only help with the cost of the test, which is often free anyway.

Soontobe60 · 17/08/2021 16:17

I recommend that you introduce a leave of absence policy to cover this issue. It has to cover all staff though.

Gwenhwyfar · 17/08/2021 16:17

@ThorsLeftNut

Consistently it’s annoying, yes.

However as devils advocate here - I have an insane dentist fear and after years of work I can only see one dentist, who only works Thursdays 9-4! If I worked part time but was scheduled to work Thursdays, I wouldn’t really have a choice.

The better answer for me is to get comfortable with another dentist 😂

My GP used to work Tuesdays and Thursdays and something like 10-4. I had the same issue about going to a different GP.
Lipsandlashes · 17/08/2021 16:19

She is taking the piss. I work part time and would never schedule appointments when I'm supposed to be at work (also from home since March 2020) - unless it was an unavoidable hospital appointment, which you don't have much control over.

fruitbrewhaha · 17/08/2021 16:19

Just speak to her for goodness sake. You don't have to wait until a performance review to tell someone they are not pulling their weight. She can see you are a pushover.

Put a policy in place today.

Gwenhwyfar · 17/08/2021 16:21

"Can't believe people are recommending firing when it's not at all clear that you've given her feedback or clear boundaries on this or any other topic!"

Not just firing but setting her up.

Akire · 17/08/2021 16:30

Most reasonable people would offer make up time. You only legally get 20min break for 6 hours worked. Few days working the extra 40min she make time up. Everyone happy and medical needs met. Give and take. Get it sorted!!

ElephantOfRisk · 17/08/2021 16:31

how was her work before the working at home?

Reason I ask is that stress and anxiety can affect work and performance and isn't always easy to admit.

I'm off work with it and my performance decreased a lot before I went off, i didn't go for appointments (which I agree can be mostly scheduled outside work hours) but I did have days where I sat frozen in front of my laptop.

I'd add that I've worked 38 years and never had more than about 10 days off in total over that time. I've always had good or excellent reviews for my work.

I'd maybe start with asking some questions. They might be lazy and taking the piss or they may be ill and trying to cope.

fakeplantsdontlookreal · 17/08/2021 16:31

It is not a legal requirement to give time off for medical appointments, so it all depends on what her contract says. A lot of employees have to take time off for medical appointments.

When I was an employee, my last contract stated that if full time then time would be given for any appointments at the start or end of the day to minimise disruption and if part time you were expected to go on your days off. The job before that though, you had to take holiday time for all appointments.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 17/08/2021 16:32

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/rights-at-work/basic-rights-and-contracts/time-off-work-overview/

Start there before you contact her then quote this bit

Time off to visit the doctor or dentist
Your employer might give you time off work to visit the doctor or dentist but they’re not legally required to do so. You should check your contract of employment to see if it says you can have time off for these appointments.

If your contract doesn’t say you can have time off, your employer can insist you have these appointments outside work hours, take holiday leave or make the time up later on.

Tell her enough is enough, you have tried to be understanding but from now on, in line with her contract and the law, she makes such appointments in her own time or takes all time unpaid or makes up the hours (whichever is best for you) - like every one else in the country!

And mean it!

gabsdot45 · 17/08/2021 16:33

I'd suggest that you have a meeting with her and say that while you are happy to be flexible and accomodate appointments during work hours, she will either have to make up the time or have her pay deducted.
She'll probably bitch about you to everyone else but if they're having to cover for her then perhaps they won't mind so much.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/08/2021 16:34

Definetly get a policy drawn up. It will be worth it in the long run. Start giving holiday entitlement in hours and request they use holiday or unpaid leave for medical appointments.

Viviennemary · 17/08/2021 16:35

Get rid of her. She is a time waster. How long has she been employed. Send a letter stating her hours of work and any time off will mean a deduction from wages. And at least a weeks notice will be required. Personally I would dismiss her for gross misconduct and let her go to a tribunal.

sloutside · 17/08/2021 16:35

You need to talk to her and tell her that that level of absence for these appointments is unacceptable.
The optician and dentist appointments should definitely have been booked on her days off. Maybe the optician and dentist only work on the days when she is in work but that's not your problem - if that's the case she should take annual leave.
Routine, non-urgent GP appointments should be booked for days off too or for early in the morning or after work where possible and if she needs to take some time off say to leave early for an appointment, she should start earlier in the morning to compensate.
She should not be booking appointments for the middle of the day and then combining them with a lunchbreak so that she's away hours.

Obviously sometimes it's unavoidable - if it was a hospital appointment she'd been waiting for for a long time maybe she might not want to reschedule and wait even longer or if she needed some kind of emergency dental treatment etc.
However, it really does sound like she is just taking the piss and she needs much clearer guidance as to what is and isn't acceptable.