Time off for sick child can this be classed as AWOL????

[arsenal6166]

Hi,

I took 2 days off due to my toddler being sick while my partner was also sick so could not care for her. and was left voice message from work saying, I should have alternate childcare in place and its not a valid reason fo being off and that I will be classed as AWOL????

What do you think of this?

Please Reply

[bednobs]

i think it sounds like you don't have a very sympathetic employer

[bednobs]

do you have access to carers leave at your work? (although in my work you get 5 carers leave days a year, you can't take more than 1 for the same incident - the theory goes you are supposed to spend the 1st day making other arrangements)
could you take annual leave?

[Fish the Mod]

This sounds like a very old fashioned company that you work for. These days companies are encouraged to look after their staff. The first thing is, did you inform the company that you were Absent? If not then they have the right to be angry and with modern technology there is no excuse not to keep them informed. Otherwise I would mention that the extended family and friends are longer available as they were some twenty years back and everyone works now and therefore what do you mean by alternative arrangements, could they advise you what to do next time.

[dothawkes31]

I was under the impression that regular child care cannot be discussed as an issue at work , however, being absence to care for a sick child is a different circumstance and you should be able to take a domestic emergency day, which if forms part of your contract, i.e it is in your staff handbook, should be an unpaid absence unless your employer agrees to take it as a holiday.

[Whickerman]

you need to check the rules regarding these incidents - it's usually called force majeure - contact HR in your company. Although I do think you will get very much less sympathy if your partner was home, regardless of their health. If you do get agreement for a force majeure day, you will not get agreement for two.

[sophie_1003]

The thing is, unless you have a relative who can care for the child it would be very difficult to find alternative care as nurseries and reputable child minders would not look after a sick child due to the risks to the other children in their care. I know this doesn't help but I do agree that the employer is being very unsympathetic!

[Hawkwalk]

take a look here for some details of your rights as a parent

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1637

[Seafarer1966]

Sounds like Toyota. Nothing can get in the way of an employees love for the company. Family bereavements, sick children etc. are not important to Toyota managers. Efficiency and production targets are the only important things. Crazy place to work.

[katieb73]

I had a problem like this when i worked for the NHS. My boss was lovely most of the time but if children got in the way then she was a nightmare.

One morning I was cleaning vomit off my sons wall and even had to throw his mattress out, poor lad had been so ill. I phoned and left a message on her answerphone and she phoned me back asking when i would be back, hopefully later on that day. I was incensed by this and told her that i would be back when he was well enough to go to school, she deducted 2 days from my annual leave!!! She said my parents should have had him or a childminder, now my parents are both pensioners who (as much as they love him, dont want a sick grandson to contend with) and i doubt very much i would have found a childminder who would look after a child with sickness and diarrhoea....

You have my sympathies, its an awful thing to deal with. I consequently left the NHS and became a self employed gardener, best move i ever made!!!

[ainitatyb]

You are employed to work, not to stay at home, and although your employer is being unsympathetic I would agree that he has the right to make the leave either holiday, or unpaid leave and I doubt that it would be considered compassionate leave. Individual employers should be more sympathetic, but consider their point of view if there are many employees, if they allow it for one (even in genuine circumstances), others will abuse the system.