HR advice - Where do I stand when my child is sick?

[Goandplay]

My son has Chicken Pox and I've had to take today off from work. DP is finding out what his work can do for next week and I have some cover with my friends so I'm hoping today is the only day I need off.

My employer offers discretionary leave which is never granted. It will be difficult to make the hours up and they are reluctant to offer the time unpaid and it makes them annoyed.

Another girl I work with was asked to reconsider working there after having 2 days off last week with her daughter.

Where do I stand legally and how should I deal with this?

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/Timeoffandholidays/DG_10026555

You can have "reasonable" time off for dependants in emergencies. Its unpaid one maybe two days would be the max under the reasonable bit.

Parental Leave is what you need to read up on - you can actually take up to 13 weeks unpaid leave subject to certain terms.

My son is 6 so I don't think I'm eligable for parental leave.

Everything at work is a constant battle.

They don't get to be 'reluctant to offer the time unpaid', they are legally obliged to do so.

Parental Leave isn't relevant in this situation (even if your son were the right age). Parental Leave has to be taken in chunks of at least a week, you haev to give notice to take it and your employer can postpone if they need to for business reasons.

Unpaid emergency dependents' leave is the right one, and it would usually be a day or two to make alternative arrangements which is exactly what you are doing.

Presumably you've rung in and explained, so at the moment it's not really a question of how you deal with it, you just go back to work next week as usual and if they attempt to discipline you or whatever, then you deal with it by pointing out your rights in Grevling's link.

With flowery on this - DH had to set up HR dept from scratch for his new company, and we were just talking the other day about what our options would be if DS was sick (I'm going back to work next month) and he told me that my/his company are legally obliged to facilitate things like kids being ill. Don't know the finer details, but your company can't NOT let you have one day for a sick child. Illegal.

I'd mention that to your colleague as well for the next time they tell her to "reconsider" her work options. twats

Parental leave is meant to be planned leave to spend with your children - not the odd day off to care for them if they are sick