Holiday entitlement and looking after sick baby

[Jenny79]

Hi moms,

I'll be going back to work soon and will leave the baby in a nursery. He's bound to get something there soon, so I was wondering, if I have to stay home to look after a baby that's ill, do I loose days from my annual entitlement? or is this registered as 'sick days' for the parent?

You probably need to check your contract . You may qualify for statutory parental leave (unpaid) over 5 years but some companies will allow you paid leave for domestic responsibility in addition which can cover such emergencies. This wouldn't count as your sick leave or be taken as holiday unless you reach the annual limit.

we are actively discouraged from using our sick leave. we can use compassionate leave in an emergency until we find cover, it won't cover if we are off for a week with child sickness - it would go unpaid.

Unpaid leave in our office is only available in weekly blocks, can't do ad hoc days. We have to use annual leave.

It's taken as holiday where I work, if you run out of holiday, it's unpaid emergency leave.If you tried to take it as 'sick' you'd be out the door three times quicker than lightning.

Oh the joys of motherhood.

You don't need to do this, you are allowed time off for dependants in an emergency (if they are suddenly ill/not allowed to go to school/taken to hospital/breakdown in childcare), it's an automatic right so you don't have to work for a certain amount of time to have this. You are allowed this time to make alternative arrangements, there's no time limit however. It's not the same as parental leave and you shouldn't be expected to use your hoilday entitlement for this.

Fluffy wish I worked wherever you work!

Um... it's a legal right. ALL employers have to do this.

www.employment-solicitors.co.uk/time-off-for-dependents.htm I don't work here by the way but the info confirms what I have just said. You just don't get paid for the time off.

Fluffy is right, all employees are entitled to Dependant's Leave, albeit unpaid. More info here.

Very hard to do in practice without it reflecting badly (unreliable etc) ime.

Emergency leave for care of dependents is available, as described above. Parental leave is normally only allowed in blocks.

Unless your company policy allows you to take sick days for your child's illness do not under any circumstances take sick leave for your child's illness. It could be a sackable offence, as TimothyTiger says. Of course, if you come down with the same bug...

parental leave is for planned child care requirements and is taken in blocks of a week.

dependants leave is unpaid adhoc short term leave. it is for emergencies not long term.

if you seem to be having a lot of dependants leave then your manager may reasonably ask if the child's father is available to look after them, or other family or what alternative arrangements you have.

you should not have to use annual leave for sick children, or your own sick leave.

you may be expected to use annual leave for time off for non emergencies such as school play or sports day. some employers will let you have these days as unpaid instead so you save your annual leave.

Where I work we get paid for the first day of child's sickness.

Where I work (in a univeristy) you get Special Leave...5 days of paid leave (at the descretion of your manager) to attend to a family member being ill. This is in addition to annual leave, parental leave etc.

My husband too gets 5 days of paid emergency leave (he is a teacher).