General Chat

Some of you may know that my dear dad died last week. My dad was rushed into hospital in the early hours of last Wednesday suffering from a heart attack. We stayed with him all night, in 2 different hospitals, finally getting home an hour before I was due to start work. I phoned and told them I would not be at work. On the Thursday I went into work, but got a phonecall from my mum, in tears, telling me that the hospital had phoned. Dad was distressed and confused and wanting to discharge himself from hospital. I rushed from work and went to the hospital. Another day off work. He died early Friday morning. I am apparently allowed 3 days Bereavement Leave for the funeral etc. I am also asking my employers for 2 days unpaid compassionate leave for the 2 days he was in hospital. They say I must use my annual leave and I say I am entitled to unpaid compassionate leave.

What do you think?

Sorry to hear your news Maggy,thats two of us losing our Dad's.
I dont know where you stand re day's off.

Marion

it should be in your terms of employment. Not all companies allow unpaid compassionate leave although the Civil service does with discretion (or did when I worked for them). Check your written terms of employment.

Ann
Glos

And I should have said I am sorry to hear about your Dad.

Ann
Glos

Maggy

As far as I know you are entitled to upaid compassionate leave.

Ask your manager for a form applying for compassionate leave.

I had 3 months of unpaid compassionate leave when my hubby had a stroke.

Are you in a union as you could get the backing of the union rep/convenor.

Sue

I'm only asking for 2 days unpaid leave. If I use my annual leave or get a self-certification sick note they will have to pay me!

I am in a union Sue, so that might be my next move, but at the end of the day I'm not asking for much am I?

Can I just add too, that my work record is good, I do not have time off.

We pay three days compassionate paid leave and will allow a 'reasonable' amount of unpaid...As a Manager I try to be as flexible as possible and I would rather let one of my staff grieve for a few days and come back ready to face the working environment rather than come back before they are ready and cause problems with under performance or stress related absence

I went back to work today Colin. I am only asking for last Friday, yesterday and next Monday for the funeral as my bereavement leave.

I just think that my line-manager is being totally unreasonable. She is coming out to see me tomorrow, I just wondered what the rest of you thought.

Maggy

sorry to hear about your Dad.

Take a look at this government page

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkAndFamilies/DG_10026555

Sorry for your loss Maggy.

If you worked for my boss you'd get however much leave you needed - and paid!!

But every company differs on policy i guess - and of course that old chestnut 'management discretion' ..............

Hope you get it sorted xx

Maggy we are only allowed 2 days compassionate leave however if it's a loss of close family, our line manager encourages us to go to the doctors for a sick note.

Have already looked on there Penny, thanks. That's where I got my information from. I think that more or less confirms what I thought.

Thanks to everyone else. Will let you know how it goes.

By the way, my hubby has been given 6 days off, with pay!!

Maggy, I knew that yr dad had been taken ill but I didn't know that he had died - I'm so sorry.

Just heard from my daughter. She had last friday off when her grandad died and wants 1 day off for the funeral and has been told she's not getting paid either. She will have the last laugh though, she has found herself another job!!

So sorry to hear about your dad's death.

In my firm we get five days compassionate leave for the death of a parent or spouse. Usually unpaid leave would need to be agreed advance, but I don't think an employer needs to grant this automatically.

Why don't you take the leave out of your annual leave and then "be sick" if you need a few days off later in the year?

If you think it's just your line manager that's being unhelpful why don't you have a word with your personnel/HR department. They should know the rules. Saying that, you should have access to an employment manual (sometimes there on a Company's intranet now), that details all the employment benefits and how you qualify for what. I'd check that out first.

(((Hugs))). Hope you sort things out - it's the last thing you need at a time like this. AL

bliddy thoughless that wat i think maggy
let them be in the same position,
well no cos they got no heart so it wouldnt botther them,

im really sorry to hear your having such awful time to go thru, i send you my heart felt sympathy, and hugs to help yhou thru this sad time

your dad will be watching them dont worry and for adding to your pain im sure he will sort them
xx
hugs to your mam too

My problem is that I am too honest AL!! But might get a sick note anyway. I shouldn't have to use my annual leave to watch my dad die!

Have looked in my Staff Handbook, but it doesn't explain in there.

Will let you all know.

Have to agree with you Julie Ann, it's the principle of it that's upsetting me most too.

Wouldn't mind if I was the sort of person that has lots of time off. Have had about 3 weeks off sick in all the 20 years I've worked for them and was in hospital for 2 weeks of that!

Good luck!

Think 2nd point of call should, therefore, be personnel/HR. They must have policies on these things. It could be at the discretion of your line manager, but at least you'd know for sure then.

AL

Thanks AL, will hear what she has to say tomorrow first, then maybe take it further.