Employees are entitled to take reasonable, unpaid time off to deal with unplanned emergencies involving a dependant. One or two days shoudl normally be sufficient to make necessary arrangements.
An emergency can occur when someone who depends on your employee:
- is ill and needs their help;
- is involved in an accident or assaulted;
- needs them to arrange longer term care;
- needs themk to deal with an unexpected disruption or breakdown in care, such as a nurse or childminder failing to turn up;
- goes into labour.
Employees should also be allowed time off if a dependant dies and they need to make funeral arrangements or attend the funeral.
Dependants are defined as a husband, wife or partner, child or parent, or someone living in the same house as part of an employee's family but not a lodger, tenant or employee. A dependant may also be someone who reasonably relies on an employee for assistance, for example, an aunt or elderly neighbour.
Employees have a right to to this time regardless of their length of service and do not have to give any notiuce in writing. There is no limit as to the number of absences an employee can have and they have a right not be to be penalised, victimised or dismissed for accessing their right to time off.
Please see the Flexible Working page in this section for a list of links providing further relevant information.
