Advice re time off during pregnancy

[workhatonforthis]

Hello, name changed for this.
Could someone please clarify the legislation for me wrt time off for pregnancy related appointments. If an employee has made an appointment during working hours, how much time should the employer reasonably be expected to pay for. For example, employee normally works 9am -4pm with a paid 20 minute break. Makes appointment for 10.30am and does not come in before it. Arrives at work at 12.30pm saying had to wait (understandable). Both her doctor's surgery and hospital are within 30 minute drive from workplace. Does she get paid for her normal hours?
Second example: employee has same appointment but telephones afterwards to say feeling unwell and not coming to work for the rest of the day. Should she be paid to the end of appointment time, then considered off sick for the rest of the day?
Can employer request that appointments are made after 4pm? Or even after 3pm as less disruptive to business? Should employee provide any evidence of appointments?
Employee is on an hourly rate and employer only pays SSP.
Business is in Scotland if that matters.
Sorry for so many questions but need to be sure the right procedures are being adhered to.

Don't know anything about the rules but FYI as far as antenatal appt go it tends to be.. Right '2 wks thurs at 2pm'...you don't get any choice, you get what given and what works for the MW!

a) employer pays for all of it. But I think it's taking the mickey to leave work (or not arrive at work) for a period greater than the reasonabke travelling time to the appointment. So a line managerial chat might be in order about not starting at 9:00 when they wouldn't need to leave work until 10:00.

b) yes, you could put them on sick pay from after the time they could reasonably have been expected to return after the appointment (ie employer pays travelling time). Not really worth it for less than half a day.

c) yes, they can request it. But no, they cannot demand it or harass the employees in any way. So asking once and nicely, fine. More than that, dodgy.

Think she gets paid for full day on both occasions. However there it wouldn't be unreasonable to request that appointments are early or late in the working day where possible.

You're not able to select an appointment time usually. You get whatever the midwife or hospital give you.

You can ask for evidence of appointment time if you wish but would come over as being a bit narky. Does your company usually ask for evidence of medical appointments?

As for what time to pay, I don't know the actual legislation but my employer would treat you as being present for normal working hours.

Thank you all. Edith, might it be worth it if employer only pays SSP i.e. only after 3 days off consecutively and has to pay someone else to replace them?

At my place of work (Scottish local government) for a 10:30am appointment, I'd be expected to work 9-10am.
If I called in sick after a MW appointment, this would be classed as 'sick leave' and added to my record.
I wasn't asked for appointment cards but it was in our staff manual that my manager could/should.
I was very lucky in that I got paid time off for parenting classes as well as MW appointments - probably 12 hours in total including travel - so you need to check your staff manual, or take advice from your HR department.