Male scan appointment for first baby

[Blacly7004]

Question I took 6 hours for an appointment as I'm entitled to 2 6 and a half hour appointments as a expecting dad and now my.employer is saying they don't recognise this and I need to make the time up is that correct or can I take it unpaid ? Also if I took it unpaid would it effect my absence and bonuses ??

You are entitled to the time off unpaid.** Did you think you should be paid?

Sorry I should have explained better, so yes I no it's unpaid I'm happy with that, but my employer is saying that they don't recognise this and that I'm contracted to work 42.5 hours and that I have no choice and I have to work more hours to make this time up. Or it will be an unauthorised absence and it will effect my bonus and my absence score factor even though they understood I wanted it unpaid but she was like yes go at first etc and she didn't understand the rules of the 2 appointments but surely i can take unpaid time off for this and it not effect my absence score or bonus ? I went to work before the appointment for a few hours.

From acas website:

“Fathers, partners and civil partners of a pregnant woman are entitled to unpaid time off during working hours to accompany her to 2 ante-natal appointments.

There is no legal right to paid time off for antenatal appointments. However, employers may allow this time off with pay under the terms and conditions of employment, or allow employees to take annual leave, swap shifts or make up time.”

So you can have it unpaid or make the time up so you don’t lose pay. I don’t think this suggests you have to make the hours up.

But, yes, you are entitled to the time off. Pretty sure they can’t stop you taking it or make you make up the hours.

You need to speak to your hr department and get them to confirm that you're allowed to take it unpaid.

What vodka said. And yes, speak to your HR.

Awesome I've been reading about it and I've seen all this information, it's such a small company theirs only 5 of us at our department so I don't even no how id get the number for HR i fully get i can take it unpaid as im 100 percent happy with that I just can't get my head around "we don't recognise this as a company and you are contracted to 42.5 hours so you have to do them or it effects your bonus and unauthorised absences" I get paid by the hours I work so on a clock in and out bases and at the end of the month another company who manages our pay adds them up and pays me what I work. It's horrible the management here it's all about them as alot of places are forced to work extra Saturday's even though I'm only contracted to 42.5 hours I don't want to annoy anyone their as I've got a new job im waiting for a start date but they still need my managers reference so I don't want to annoy her and I can think of another way around this unless I work the time back but I feel like it's discriminatory towards pregnancy her making me work extra time even though I want it unpaid

If you don't have a hr department you need to pop something brief in writing to your manager saying you understand that you are entitled to the time, and that the law doesn't require you to make it up, so you don't expect this to affect your bonus etc. provide a link to acas as well, to show where you got your info.

It depends where you work, I work for the civil service and were entitled to paid time off for antenatal appointments.

I would ask your HR or read up on your company's policy rather than standard maternity information as it may not be correct.

There's several times where the standard rules for maternity allowances, leave and mat pay are different to what the civil service/MOD give.