To wonder if this is a valid reason to be off work for the day

[Louiseeel]

That your Dparents car was broken into the night before so you had to be with them

Well the employee actually called in again today so was let go

No it's not a valid reason. If someone is capable enough to drive a car then they don't need an adult child taking a day off work.

Thanks for the update @Louiseeel
I doubt she'll find another job, if her work ethic is as bad as this!

That’s good news. Now hopefully you can find someone, who is more diligent and willing to work as part of a team.

Thanks for updating.

Seems absolutely fair.

Thanks everyone. So they didn't actually have a reason today either. The other days off were taken as sick days. I think she just does not want to work. Also, it turns out that the car wasn't stolen, just broken into, nothing taken, no injury to anyone.

No way, unless it's unpaid.

no. That would have to be special leave or annual leave.

Ridiculous

Depends why you had to be there:

• if car was not secure and they are incapable of finding someone to come and repair/secure it themselves - yes valid
• if they needed to have a conversation with insurance/repairs and can't cope with that themselves - yes valid
• if they were very shaken up, didn't feel safe in the house on their own - probably valid

Anything else - probably not valid.

If they are capable enough to drive they can deal with an event like this themselves. Had it been their house that was broken into and they were mentally frail or vulnerable in some way then that’s an entirely different matter.

I suppose it depends on what they are like at dealing with paperwork and stress, their age, who else might be available, how far away etc. If they were away on holiday and you needed to be there to deal with Police and insurance on their behalf then it might be essential or if they needed a lift somewhere. My parents are around 80 but would be perfectly capable of dealing with it themselves.

@xmaswiththeinlaws The OP has said they're late 50s/early 60s

Definitey not! Their parents are not even old so pathetic excuse.

this is why I'm self-employed - parents young but vulnerable to shocks and I'd want to be there to support them if I could (without letting anyone down unacceptably, obviously).

You can't pull this sort of thing repeatedly in a job and get away with it.

[Edited - hit button to post before I'd finished!)

I'd be bloody tamping if it meant extra work for me and you were off for that reason.

It was only a car break in and it happened the night before the person was due at work. How much support do a couple of 59 or 60 year olds need because their car has a broken window.

Did you mean this to be a reply to my comment?
I was talking about my own parents. You don't know them or their situation.

I beg to differ on the disaster bit.
While it's not a disaster on the grand scale of things, break ins can really frighten some (elderly) people.

Theyre not elderly. Theyre late 50s early 60s

And it happened the previous day. Had it been an 80 year old who'd just got up and noticed it. Totally different though still wouldn't warrant a day off work a few hours absolutely. But these parents are fit and capable middle aged.

1. Someone broke into their car, not their house.
2. They are not elderly, or anywhere near it.

@CarpetKnees @Redglitter
You guys sound like a great cabaret act 🤩👌🏼

I missed the post about their age.
Yeah, a bit piss takery

But in a nursery setting there are staff/child ratios to adhere to and staff are rotaed to meet these legal requirements so unlikely staff can give notice of using annual leave on a whim!

What do you do if you have a genuine emergency, say your house flooded, or you had a break in and needed to wait for the police etc?