General

Employees must ensure that any time off (other than in the case of sickness) is authorised in advance by their line manager. Employees should complete an Absence Form on their first day back at work.

Medical and Dental Appointments

Employees are requested to give at least a week’s notice for routine medical appointments outside working hours. Where this is not possible, let your line manager know as soon as you can.

Absence Due to Sickness

Employees are required to notify the Company as soon as possible of their sickness absence and the reasons for it. They should do this personally at the earliest opportunity to their line manager and by no later than 9.30am on the first day of the absence.

Any reasonably guaranteed form of communication to communicate absence is fine. Telephone, text/iMessage, and email is fine. Slack is ok, provided that you get an acknowledgement.

It is essential that employees keep the Company updated on the circumstances of the absence and of its estimated duration. Employees must maintain regular contact throughout any period of sickness absence.

Where an employee’s absence lasts more than seven calendar days a Medical Certificate (a “Statement of Fitness for Work”) completed by a medical practitioner must be forwarded to management to cover the absence. If your absence continues, further medical certificates must be provided to cover the while period of absence. The employee is also required to complete an Absence Form on the first day back at work.

If your doctor provides a certificate stating that you “may be fit for work” you should inform your line manager immediately. We will discuss with you any additional measures that may be needed to facilitate your return to work, taking account of your doctor’s advice. This may take place at a return to work interview. If appropriate measures cannot be taken, you will remain on sick leave and we will set a date to review the situation.

Every employee who has been absent (other than those authorised in advance) will be interviewed by management immediately upon return to work. The reasons for the employee’s absence will be discussed. Management must decide whether to authorise the absence or not. The onus is on the employee to satisfy management that there was a genuine medical reason for the absence.

The Company will monitor each employee’s attendance at work so that any unacceptable levels of absenteeism may be addressed.

Access to Medical Reports

From time to time it may be necessary for the Company to obtain a medical report from an employee’s doctor in order to gather further information about the employee’s medical condition and its probable effect on the employee’s future attendance at work or the ability to do his or her job.

Employees have certain rights under the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988. Should the Company find it necessary to obtain a medical report concerning an employee’s fitness for work or any other relevant matter the employee will be asked for his or her written consent. At the time of the request for consent the employee will be advised of his or her rights under the Act.

Statutory Rights to Time Off

Employees have the right to request time off work in the following circumstances:

Time off to Receive Antenatal care

Pregnant employees are entitled to take reasonable time off with pay during working hours to receive antenatal care. The Company may require an employee who wishes to take time off for this purpose to provide medical certification of her pregnancy and an appointment card, with the exception of the first appointment.

Family Friendly Leave

This includes maternity, paternity, adoption and parental leave and time off for dependants, details of which are set out in the relevant sections of this Handbook.

Time off for Public Duties

An employee is entitled to ask for time off work for specified public duties. There is no statutory right to be paid for this time off. The permitted amount of time off is that which is reasonable in the circumstances.

The public positions for which there is a right to time off are as follows:

• Justice of the Peace;
• members of a local authority, e.g., local councillors;
• members of a statutory tribunal;
• members of a police authority;
• prison visitors;
• members of health bodies, e.g., NHS trusts, health authorities, etc;
• members of education bodies, e.g., managing or governing bodies of local authority educational establishments, grant maintained schools, etc; and
• members of the Environmental Agency or the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
• Time off in Redundancy Situations
• Employees under notice of dismissal for redundancy and who will have at least two years’ service on the date that notice expires, are entitled to a reasonable amount of paid time off to look for other work or to make arrangements for their retraining.

Other Authorised Time Off

Jury Service

Employees are entitled to time off work for jury service. Employees should notify management immediately on receipt of the jury summons, giving full details.

Bereavement Leave

In addition to an employee’s right to take reasonable unpaid time off following the death of a dependant, the Company may, at its discretion, permit an employee to take leave (either paid or unpaid) following the death of an immediate or close relative.

Unpaid Authorised Absence

The Company may grant unpaid leave of absence at its discretion and on a case by case basis. All requests should be made well in advance to management. Employees are not permitted to take unpaid leave of absence without prior management permission except in cases of emergency.