Time off for dependants

Emergency time off

As an employee you’re allowed time off to deal with unforeseen matters and emergencies involving a dependant.

A dependant could be a spouse, partner, child, grandchild, parent, or someone who depends on you for care.

Examples of emergencies could include:

• Illness, injury or assault
• Disruption of care arrangements
• If your child is involved in an incident

You have a right to a reasonable amount of time off for the above reasons. In these instances we are happy for you to take paid leave for up to one day. After the first day we would expect you to make alternative arrangements or take paid / unpaid leave.

You must tell your line manager as soon as possible the reason for the absence and how long you expect to be absent.

There are no limits on how many times you can take time off for dependants.

We may want to talk to you if we think time off is affecting your work.

Planned time off

You may occasionally need time off to look after a dependant, which may be planned in advance. For example, you may want a day off to take a child to a hospital appointment.

This needs to be booked a paid / unpaid leave or parental leave.