Can work deny my request? Medical appointment

[Canworkdothis]

I have 2 (private, not NHS if this makes any difference?) medical appointments next month - one being a scan and the other is a consultation to discuss results.

I approached my manager who was not impressed at all, and made me feel as though it’s a huge inconvenience and shouldn’t be happening.

The job i do means there aren’t others to pick up my work and December is the busiest month, so we aren’t allowed annual leave during this time.

Am i allowed to go to private medical appointments or can they deny this due to work demand or whatever?

Manager is asking for letter proof of appointment. I don’t have a letter, only email confirmation. Is this enough? I’ve sent a message but haven’t received a reply.

How much information do i need to provide with regards to my appointment - the nature of the appointment is very personal and where i am going for it can give away information which I don’t feel comfortable discussing with manager yet. However, this would be shown on the email confirmation.

i probably sound like I’m overthinking it all, and i probably am. I just feel like i’m stuck with what to do next.

thanks for reading!

I think it depends a little on the nature of the appointment. If it's for a completely necessary medical procedure then I'd hope that your employer would be accommodating.

If it's for something optional, cosmetic surgery or the like for example and you've elected to have it done at the busiest time of the year, I can see why they're irritated.

I also think this depends. If it’s private could you not have scheduled out of work hours or a weekend? Much depends on what it’s for and the company policy

Yes depends what it’s for and if it’s urgent. Also did you offer to make the time up or are you expecting paid time off?

No paid time off. Would be for less than a morning one day, finishing 1hr early on the other day.

Not cosmetic - investigation into fertility so not particularly urgent, though the hours i work are the hours the clinic is open.

unable to take a day or two holiday, has to be in week blocks. But even then, would be from next year.

You have a right to confidentiality so i would tell my manager that i will share the appointment emails or letters confidentially with HR, so they can confirm to your manager that it is real and necessary, but you don't want your manager to be told the nature of the appointment because it is private.

Loads of reasons this could be sensible.

Im thinking along the lines... if you were having a maternity scan and review then it could clue your manager in that you are pregnant and that might dull your prospects for promotion, so it may keep things more neutral to only let HR know the reason.

In my opinion any medical appointment should be allowed in work time, as long it is unavoidable, unless it is purely cosmetic with no MH implication if not solved.

I think they can deny you permission, but it's unlikely they will - but given you are going private and they have asked you not to take time off in Dec - I wouldn't be impressed that you booked 2 appts for Dec for something that was non-urgent.

Is it the kind of job where you can work extra hours to make up the difference?

Mmm... on the fence here.

I've been through fertility investigations so I get the feeling that you want them done asap.

As it's private though and you've got the choice I'd suggest moving it to January.

Your manager sounds dreadful. No reasonable workplace refuses medical appointments unless for e.g. cosmetic dentistry.

I agree with keeping the reasons confidential.

I would look for another job too!

unable to take a day or two holiday, has to be in week blocks. But even then, would be from next year This is also shit - wtf is wrong with your workplace?!?

is the clinic part of a bigger hospital? If so you could ask receptionist to send you an appointment card or letter just with name of hospital and date of appointment. Being private doesn't matter, a medical appointment is a medical appointment. My Dsis had breast lump investigated at private hospital as her DH had cover through work.

But I'd be looking for another job. If you were to need fertility treatment your employer is not compatible with that. They're going to kick off about every appointment. And you can't even use annual leave to protect your privacy as you'd have to take a whole week when you only wanted a half day!

I had no bother getting time off for fertility investigations then treatment. This was with a local authority though. I though they couldn't refuse time off for fertility treatments- but perhaps it's not always paid.

You can only take week blocks of al? Wtf is that all about?

Unfortunately they don't have to give you medical appointments off- it can be argued not doing so is discrimination if someone has a disability but I don't believe fertility comes under the umbrella Unfortunately

Can't you make up the hours you're taking? That's how it works where I work.

@CCornelious unfortunately fertility treatments don't come under the law for maternity appointments

Just a tip - when I’ve been asked to send an appointment letter and only have an email, I’ve taken a screenshot of the email and covered up any personal stuff. Or you can print it, and scan it with the private bits covered up. They don’t need to know exactly what your appointment is for.

I don't believe there is any legal statutory right to time off for medical appointments, however I've found most employers are not usually against this and would generally try to work with the employee to find a solution that is suitable for the workload and the employee.

I should add, my previous post is obviously with the expiation of maternity and disability related appointments as they are covered other ways before someone points it out.

For a non urgent medical appointment it depends, you aren't ill so it's not sickness.

Is there a compromise, have they initial appointment in December and the follow up in the new year?

Fertility treatment is an awkward one but it is elective, some employers have a policy of allowing leave

Your employer sounds rubbish that you can’t take odd days annual leave, so for that reason alone I’d be looking to leave. However, I think in this case your employer isn’t being entirely unreasonable. They have asked you not to take time off in December, yet you have made non-urgent medical appointments for December. Does your employer know it’s not urgent, i.e. did they ask you if it was urgent, and you confirmed that it was not? They really should give you time off for urgent appointments, so if the haven’t even asked that question, I’d be looking for another job for that reason too. But, the reality is that this is not an urgent appointment, it can wait until January, even though it’s not nice for you to have to wait. Sending the email to HR with the instruction that it’s confidential may well not change the outcome. HR will probably just be instructed to find out if it’s urgent or not, and to not allow non-urgent medical appointments in December.

Would they let you take the leave in January? They’d be unreasonable not to allow you any time at all to given the annual leave situation, but it isn’t urgent, you’re not unwell, waiting a few weeks seems a reasonable request.