Emergency leave

[woodchopper]

Unfortunately a dependant of mine fell ill and I had to take a days emergency leave which I am entitled to - can my employer insist that I use one of my flexible holidays to cover the day off ? -or can I insist it was an unpaid days leave ? - I value my holidays that I have left.

[CheekyChops]

It will depend on who was ill and what your contract says. I think that most emplyers would insist that you take it out of your annual leave entitlement, or flexi hours.

[cascarelli]

Unless it states otherwise in your contract this will be down to your employers discretion.

[Whickerman]

I think EU law steps in here. Here in Ireland, you are entitled to take a force majeure day if you are caught in an emergency with someone to whom you can be classed as acting in loco parentis to, and this stems from an EU directive on labour law.
This does not cover babysitting though - and is only applicable on dayone -if you get someone, say your child, to a hospital, then the force majeure is no longer applicable. Similarly for a sick child, you can't expect it to cover the flu.