Question re: time off for poorly children

[doggytreats]

Hi

I wonder if anyone could help me - I'm asking a Q on behalf of my friend.

She works as a LSA (Learning Support Assistant) in a secondary school. She has 2 DS aged 14 and 12 who are generally fine but they do, as kids do, get poorly from time to time - her youngest has been suffering from a knee problem caused by playing football and the school keep sending him home.

She has received and email from her work saying that she has used all of the 5 days a year she has allotted for caring for sick children and will be unable to take any more. She doesn't get paid for time off caring for her children.

To me, this sounds like discrimination against working parents - there isn't a similar rule for anyone caring for an elderly relative for example. Does anyone know anything about this sort of thing? She's worried for her job

Cheers x

She is entitled to unpaid emergency time off see here. As long as they are not paying her for the time off, her employer doesn't get to decide how many days each person can take per year, it's about what is reasonable.

Does she have a DP/DH and is he taking turns?

At 12 & 14 if her children are trustworthy and sensible why can't she leave him at home for a day by himself.
My boys are 19 and 23 now, but by the time they were at senior school they looked after themselves for the mornings I used to work if they were sick or on holidays. I was always home by 1.30, but an LSA probably is able to get away from work at a reasonable mid afternoon time, especially if her child is a bit unwell.
Where I work I believe you can only have up to 5 days carers leave a year. Presume they have to put these rules in as there would certainly be people who would take the piss!

She is entitled to emergency dependants leave but if its the same re-occuring injury from playing football then its not really an emergency.

There are no set number of days but it has to be reasonable.

At 12, the child should be old enough to go home alone or she can take turns with her OH or ask a friend / grandparents to help out.

Its hard juggling work and children but 5 days already is very generous.

Your friend needs to ask HR for a copy of 'The Green Book' - a unions/government agreement on the term and condiions for the employment of support staff in schools. There will be a bit in that for family leave. The school I am gives the first day paid, with subsequest days unpaid up to a maximum of 5 paid days and 15 unpaid days in a year, which I presume but can't guarantee is what the green book gives support staff the right to. This is more generous than you will find in other employment sectors.