Hospital/Medical/Dental appointments

[LorlieS]

I'm a primary teacher and for those of you who know the world of education, we are not permitted to take any time off work term-time unless for absolutely urgent reasons or for hospital appointments. GP or dental appointments all have to be booked outside school hours. This is the norm I believe (it has been for all the schools I have worked in).

Today we received an email from Admin saying that if we need to take leave for reasons such as the above then we will need to submit a form seeking permission and also we will need to make the time up.

Not quite sure how this is possible with school hours?

Does this all seem reasonable? I've only ever been a teacher my entire working life so not sure about places of employment more generally regarding this?

NHS here.
We have to take any time off for planned medical appointments as annual leave or TOIL..

Not sure how that would work in a school though as you can't take annual leave and assuming you can't accrue TOIL

Check your contract and the school absence policy. LOA form is standard (as would be providing an appointment letter), might be worth an email requesting how you 'repay' the time though.

Education is in crisis atm, we had 23 staff off yesterday and it's impossible to get external cover, colleagues are getting pissed off about being asked to work their PPA. GP and dental appts I've always done during school hols unless urgent (as in, I'm too poorly to go to school) but I've never had a hospital appt refused.

@HorMon This is where I'm confused. In an education setting how can you make up the time?! We don't accrue TOIL and no annual leave!

Are they wanting you to give up your PPA to provide cover for absent colleagues? This is the only thing I can think of.

@BloodyAdultDC We are having exactly the same problems re staffing. Who on earth in their right mind wants to work in education at the moment?!! It's horrific.

@Iwishiwasasilentnight We do that anyway!

Exactly!
I'd be inclined to do as PP suggested, if you have to put in a form requesting the time off ask how they would like you to repay the 2 hrs or whatever you're taking off for a medical appointment.
I suspect they'll struggle to answer that one!