Whats your policy on Dentists / Doctors / Opticions etc
Discussion
Interested to know what
a) the law is
b) your policy is on
Staff making regular appointments (checkups, hygenist, course of works (4-5-6 visits) during office hours
Do you simply allow them carte blanche? or you you require staff to make any non-emergency appts in their own time, or take half day / day holiday for these?
Ta
J
a) the law is
b) your policy is on
Staff making regular appointments (checkups, hygenist, course of works (4-5-6 visits) during office hours
Do you simply allow them carte blanche? or you you require staff to make any non-emergency appts in their own time, or take half day / day holiday for these?
Ta
J
The short answer to this question is,employers are not required by law to allow workers to attend medical appointments in work time. You are perfectly within your rights to take the time for attending medical appointments out of the employee's holiday allowance. This is true of hospital appointments, doctors' appointments and even trips to the dentist.
The main exception to this is for expectant mothers, but even then it does not cover everyone. There are rules in place that require employers to give time off for mothers to attend ante-natal care but only if it is advised by a midwife, health visitor or doctor.
If the appointments are connected with a condition that could be called a a disability. In that case, an employer must make reasonable allowances for the disability, and allowing time off for medical appointments is considered to be a 'reasonable allowance'.
But...the other thing is, that this is one area that can really affect team morale, it's a bit of a double edged sword, if you are not seen to be reasonable, employees with b
h about you behind your back and become demotivated, then if one person is seen to be having a lot of time off the others will bh about you and become demotivated.
You need a firm fair policy, so pay for time for emergency dental work only, ask that all other appointments are booked for the end of the day, I would make this time unpaid..if treatment result in them having the following day of that is delt with by your current sick policy.
Hospital appointments are probably the most difficult, as you tend to have no control over when they are, I'd say pay.
Doctors appointment, routine ones, again expect them to make them at the end of the day no pay.
Serious on going health problems say Cancer, sit down with the individual and wok something out that works for both of you.
A bonus scheme for those that don't have sick/appointments tends to work well, say an extra days paid annual leave each quater.
The main exception to this is for expectant mothers, but even then it does not cover everyone. There are rules in place that require employers to give time off for mothers to attend ante-natal care but only if it is advised by a midwife, health visitor or doctor.
If the appointments are connected with a condition that could be called a a disability. In that case, an employer must make reasonable allowances for the disability, and allowing time off for medical appointments is considered to be a 'reasonable allowance'.
But...the other thing is, that this is one area that can really affect team morale, it's a bit of a double edged sword, if you are not seen to be reasonable, employees with b
h about you behind your back and become demotivated, then if one person is seen to be having a lot of time off the others will bh about you and become demotivated.You need a firm fair policy, so pay for time for emergency dental work only, ask that all other appointments are booked for the end of the day, I would make this time unpaid..if treatment result in them having the following day of that is delt with by your current sick policy.
Hospital appointments are probably the most difficult, as you tend to have no control over when they are, I'd say pay.
Doctors appointment, routine ones, again expect them to make them at the end of the day no pay.
Serious on going health problems say Cancer, sit down with the individual and wok something out that works for both of you.
A bonus scheme for those that don't have sick/appointments tends to work well, say an extra days paid annual leave each quater.
I'm not sure that reads very well, I appear to still be slightly drunk
Edited by Zen. on Friday 28th November 14:00
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