Family Friendly issue?

[grendel]

Isn't their a law in place that says if you have an child under 5 that your place of work must accommodate you if you have to go off at short notice? Example your wife's sick and you have to take the responsibility of looking after your baby.I'm sure this law was brought in under Labour but I'm just after confirmation in case anything arises.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Isn't their a law in place that says if you have an child under 5 that your place of work must accommodate you if you have to go off at short notice? Example your wife's sick and you have to take the responsibility of looking after your baby.I'm sure this law was brought in under Labour but I'm just after confirmation in case anything arises.

yes there is, BUT they dont need to pay you for it...

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/parents/mon ... g_10026555" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Taking time off for a dependant
Letting your employer know about taking time off
You can take time off regardless of your length of service. If you do need time off you should let your employer know as soon as you can, although you don't have to do it in writing or provide evidence.

If you return to work before you have had the chance to contact your employer, you must still tell them why you were absent.
How much time you are allowed to take off
You are allowed 'reasonable' time off to deal with the emergency and make any arrangements that are needed. There's no set amount of time allowed to deal with an unexpected event involving a dependant - it will vary depending on what the event is but for most cases one or two days should be sufficient to deal with the problem.

For example, if your child falls ill you can take enough time off to deal with their initial needs, such as taking them to the doctor and arranging for their care. However, you will need to make other arrangements if you want to stay off work longer to care for them yourself.

If both parents wish to take time off for a dependant you should try to adopt a common-sense approach with your employer. Both parents may need to take time off work if your child has had a serious accident, however it is unlikely to be necessary if the childminder fails to turn up.

There's no limit to the number of times you can take time off for dependants, provided it's for real emergencies. If your employer feels that you are taking more time off than they can cope with, they should warn you of this.

If you need to be off for longer than you thought to deal with something, contact your employer as soon as you can to let them know why and how long you might need. Try to give them these details in writing as soon as you can. Your employer may have a form they will need you to fill in.

Being paid for your time off
Your employer doesn't have to pay you for time off for dependants but they may choose to do so. You can check your contract of employment to see if there's a policy about this.

[not me]

how does this fall in with the attendance procedure?

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

how does this fall in with the attendance procedure?

it doesnt, its outwith the attendance procedure same as materinty leave/paternity leave etc

[grendel]

Thanks for all the trouble you've went through to provide me with the facts,that's a great help.