Un-scheduled leave.

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

Hannah Wynne Richards — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 17:54:22 GMT

With the prevalence of marriage breakdown and step families these days, it's quite possible that someone is closer to a step grandmother than to his/her biological grandparents - so having 3 people in a grandmotherly relationship is far from impossible.

Wynne

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

grumpyoldman — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:03:23 GMT

I think you have to fair and reasonable without being mugged if that is possible ?. You do tend to feel a bit of an idiot when someone says their grandmother died and you graciously allow time off only for someone else to inform you that its actually their 3rd grandmother and they are really going to Glastonbury.

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 09:06:21 GMT

No vets but nurses get 2 weeks full pay for sickness then 2 weeks minus what it costs me to cover them with overtime provided it is at least SSP then just SSP after that up to 6 weeks at which time their ability to return to work will be assessed.

One week compassionate leave for close relatives, 2 days for distant relatives, one day for a friend.

For a family crisis they would be allowed the same time for a dependent relative but any other has to be taken as holiday time.

Like others it depends on staff but long standing loyal staff get more consideration and flexibility depending on circumstances. My present nurses haven't even taken their full holiday allowance so I've paid them for the extra days yet I've had one who just didn't turn up for her shift because her grandmother was ill and took additional days holiday before I found out and got arsey about it when I confronted her and demanded more days off. She didn't last long.

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

Mark Hedberg — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 08:40:54 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

This is interesting - our contract says to see the practice handbook and the handbook says to see the individual contract! Something to sort!

[/quote]

At least you checked! I'd bet there are owners that haven't looked at their handbooks since the year they got put on the shelf! :)

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

Braden Collins — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 00:52:49 GMT

These are our legal requirements to provide for leave. Our sick leave accumulates each year, so if you work 10 years without being sick you would have 100 days up your sleeve if you got very sick. We are always flexible with compassionate leave, and will be as generous as we can within reason.

1. LEAVE

1.1 Personal/Carer’s Leave

1.1.1 Permanent employees are entitled to paid personal/ carer’s leave in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009, as amended.

1.1.2 The entitlement to Personal/Carers Leave accrues progressively throughout the year and accumulates from year to year. A full time employee will be entitled to 10 days of personal/carer’s leave per annum, a part time employee accrues their leave on a pro rata basis.

1.1.3 Any personal/carer’s leave taken in excess of the entitlement under the Fair Work Act 2009, as amended will be unpaid leave.

1.1.4 Personal/carer’s leave is:

1.1.5 Leave taken by you because of a personal illness, or injury or;

1.1.6 Paid or unpaid carer’s leave taken by yourself to provide care or support to a member of your immediate family, or a member of your household, who requires care or support because of:

(a) A personal illness, or injury, of the member; or

(b) An unexpected emergency affecting the member.

1.1.7 If you are unable to attend work for reasons of illness or injury, or are required to care for a family or household member, you must give notice as soon as reasonably practicable. This notice must be given directly to the Vet Manager of the BVC.

1.1.8 Should you take a period of personal/carer’s leave, upon the day you return to work, you are required to provide the BVC with a medical certificate stating that you were unfit for work on those days or that the person you were caring for was ill on those days.

1.1.9 Your personal/carer’s leave entitlement accumulates from year to year. However, you are not entitled to payment for untaken personal/carer’s leave on termination of your employment.

1.1.10 In addition to paid carer’s leave, you are entitled to up to 2 days of unpaid carer’s leave for each occasion that you are required to care for an immediate family member. You may be required to produce evidence as to the illness of the family member.

1.1 Compassionate Leave

1.1.1 Your entitlement to Compassionate leave is provided for as per the Fair Work Act 2009, as amended.

1.1.2 Presently, you are entitled to a period of 2 days of paid compassionate leave for each permissible occasion when a member of your immediate family, or a member of your household:

(a) contracts or develops a personal illness that poses a serious threat to his or her life; or

(b) sustains a personal injury that poses a serious threat to his or her life; or

(c) dies

1.2 Parental Leave

1.2.1 Parental leave is provided as per the Fair Work Act 2009, as amended.

1.2.2 Generally, parental leave is 12 months of unpaid leave to care for a newly born or adopted child. To be eligible for parental leave, an employee must have completed 12 months of continuous service with BVC and have provided written notice of the leave no later than 10 weeks before the intended start date of the leave.

1.2.3 An employee has the right to request an extension of a further 12 months beyond the available parental leave period. The request must be made in writing, at least 4 weeks before the end of the available parental leave period.

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

Claudia Niehoegen — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 23:24:27 GMT

Only have lay staff/ nurses, no vets. We've always paid full wage for 4 weeks in case of illness, but in 20 years that has only been necessary 3 times. After about 2 years we introduced a 3 day deferment which greatly reduced single sick days, eg for an injured knee that 2 days later did not even show itself in a limp.

We have just introduced 3 days full pay per year if a child is ill. The nursery still has to be paid, and it seems rather harsh to then dock the pay, too. We like to be child-friendly but there have only been 3 babies in 20 years. That's not the typical fertility rate for Telford.

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

Dagmar Steele — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 21:39:31 GMT

Interesting how things differ from country to country. In Germany every employee has six weeks payed illness time, after that the health insurance pays him 67% of his last wage and the employer doesn't have to cover any more. Employees are entitled to two days leave if a close relative dies or if they move house, other than that you'll have to take time off (holidays/unpaid leave). If you want to look after an ill relative for a longer period there are arrangements for support from the state for some time and the guarantee to get your job back afterwards, but of course there is no full payment and the job guarantee doesn't last forever. That's the same for pregnancy btw, 6wks before and 8wks after birth fully paid, three years guarantee to get your old job back if you decide to take a break from work to raise your child. In my surgery it would depend on what kind of employee would ask for time off and for which period of time, if it's a valued loyal employee and a real emergency I would let them go and pay for up to a week, more than that I couldn't afford. If it would be someone I felt like they are taking advantage of me I would ask them to take time off for it.

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

Rob Loxley — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 21:24:37 GMT

[quote user="An On MRCVS"]Due to illness, family crisis, bereavement[/quote]

All rather different.
Illness would come under sick pay terms
Family crisis might encompass times that would come under 'unpaid parental leave' though usually that is more planned; there are specific rights re (unpaid) leave for emergencies involving family and dependents.

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 21:10:54 GMT

This is interesting - our contract says to see the practice handbook and the handbook says to see the individual contract! Something to sort!

We have 2 weeks full pay then SSP. We could cope for 2 weeks down 1 person, but beyond that we'd have to look at locum cover and as a small business we can't afford to keep a person not working on full pay and pay locum fees.

For odd days (sick relatives etc) then we cover and pay as normal. If it was becoming regular or lasting more than a few days then it would be unpaid leave or take holiday.

RE: Un-scheduled leave.

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 21:09:46 GMT

We automatically pay:

-14 working days sick pay per rolling 52 weeks

-1 week compassionate leave for death/serious injury to close relatives, 2 days for other relatives

Other than that, it simply what we choose to pay. For example, a valued and longstanding member of staff would probably get more sympathy, and therefore pay, than someone else.

(Our receptionist's husband works in Africa, was taken ill, and she had a week off to fly to him, and fly him home. She was paid in full. However, other staff members have taken time off to look after partners after routine surgery....they would not be paid.)

Unfortunately in most cases, a small business cannot afford to keep paying a full wage for long term illness. It isn't about 'being kind'.... it is simply not financially viable when other staff/locums have to be paid to cover their workload.