Employment Law Re Time Off...

[Maggoty]

One of the ladies here has told another lady that she is allowed upto 20 days off due to "children's sickness" etc until the child is 5.

Anyone heard of this or something similar?

Cheers

x

[emeritus]

No unless your company has this in its employment contracts

Heres the official line

https://www.gov.uk/time-off-for-dependants/your-rights

[hc4361]

This is the law for time off to look after sick children:
https://www.gov.uk/time-off-for-dependants/your-rights

No mention of 20 days but of course each company is allowed to make their own terms and conditions provided they are at least as good as the law states.

[chelle7272]

Yes you can have 4 weeks unpaid parental leave per year, 18 in total. it is now until the child is 18.
These have to bee taken in 'blocks' of at least a week at a time.
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1637

[hc4361]

Parental leave requires the employee to make a formal request for it 21 days in advance so isn't suitable for looking after poorly children

[wolf63]

We were allowed Special Leave to cover sick leave (and whatever else) but only for a day until other arrangements could be made. I 'think' that it was unpaid. This was the Civil Service (DWP), but they threw me out in 2003 so it may have changed a little.

[chelle7272]

Some companies (mine included) allow special leave for emergencies including sick dependants. Ours is up to 7 working days per year, paid.
This is not set down by law, purely down to company policy.

[chelle7272]

//Parental leave requires the employee to make a formal request for it 21 days in advance so isn't suitable for looking after poorly children //

Agreed hc, however I assume that the person who told Maggoty this has made an error in the description res ickness.
I posted info on Parental leave as it certainly fits the 20 days advised and was until April 2015 only for under 5's (unless the child is disabled)

[cassa333]

Whatever the outcome the employer doesn't have to pay them for these days off.

[237SJ]

5 dependency days off per year is the norm as far as I understand it.

[237SJ]

By law

[clairson59]

Rules vary depending on the employer. In local government jobs you get 5 days paid emergency leave if on term time only contracts and 10 half days (to which you can add 10 half days annual leave) if you are not term time only. Other employers will set their own limits but I doubt any would give you 20 paid days off on top of annual leave. Parental leave has to be applied for in advance (as already mentioned). It can't be used for emergencies such as a sick child. It is normally unpaid.