Employment Law - Holiday or compasionate?

[HJT40]

I took my 16 year old daughter to the GP last week who sent us straight to the hospital to have her admitted. I did not go back to work that afternoon. The following day I went back to the hospital at lunch time, having been in work for the morning. On arriving back at work this week (after 3 days pre planned annual leave) I find that the two half days I spent at the hospital have been marked as holiday. The person who marked them as such had a half day to go to a funeral, but that was not marked as holiday.

I am confused.

[mdoo98]

I dont think the company is obliged to give you this time off paid, they could (i suppose by mutual agreement) make it time off without pay but then you'd be no better off.

[bednobs]

compassionate leave is usually reserved for when someone close to you dies, but i doubt anyone here will know what your company policy is, so you'll have to ask your manager. There is no legal obligation for your employer to give you time off to visit your daughter in hospital. Some companies give "carer leave" to deal with emergencies and some companies give "parental leave" to sort out emergencies but they don't have to.

[ChuckFickens]

You are allowed time of for dependants illness... but you are probably only entitled to the first day (the one you took her to hospital on)

http://www.direct.gov...dfamilies/dg_10026555

(hope your daughter gets better soon)

[LoftyLottie]

No actual law on this at all. Just company policy and company discretion, as Bednobs has explained. All you can do is take it up with your boss or personnel. I am not sure though whether they can just mark it as holiday without your permission. You should have been asked whether you wanted to have it as holiday or unpaid leave. It's worth you checking.

[HJT40]

Thank you all, very helpful, especially the link Chuckfickens.

It would appear that the situation has not been helped by one of my work colleagues complaining to my boss that I had not been in all week and did not know that I was going to the hospital on the second day - despite me telling her. Sometimes people just want to make life a bit harder for you!

[bednobs]

as per CF's link, please note it says you may be entitled to UNPAID leave