ow. you alright?

depends on the person, but my 2p

One of my direct reports; his wife was taken ill last week and had to go into hospital, where she has now been stabilised and finally yesterday had a stone removed from a bile duct. They have an older son (10 or 11 now) a 7 year old daughter and a 3mo baby.

My report asked if he could have short notice holiday from next year’s entitlement as all this year’s is gone apart from Christmas. I tore him a new hole for even asking. In circumstances like this I told him, he should do the important stuff for his wife and kids, and then if he has spare time ensure nothing goes so badly wrong that he can’t pick it up when things get back to normal, and that anything that can’t be done in the meantime either delegate it back up to me or palm it off to one of his colleagues. I know he’ll make as much time up as he needs to in order to keep the boat afloat so i can trust him with it.

In any case, in a situation like this I’d be so distracted i’d be a liability at making any important decisions.

It might be different re: how closely I’d watch the situation if it were another of my reports but I’d still give the time off for free without question. If a manager can’t see this, they shouldn’t be managing.

I work on the principle that the action of asking for compassionate leave justifies its granting. Emergency care, funerals… nobody’s mind will be on the job at hand. Most people will make up the time, and my attitude is the same as theotherjonv’s.

For the teacher going to a grandparent’s funeral, since I was brought up in a large part by my grandparents, I’d challenge the notion that they are not a close relative, tell the head I was attending and face the consequences. I’d also not be in any state to face a class of children. I can sadly say that from experience!

YOu guys make me laugh

On the one hand you kick up a stink about how lax things are in the public sector with super holidays and pensions and how none of us are worth two beans and on the other kick up a stink because a teacher has to justify time of with pay for a grandparents funeral! Not that she didn’t get it but she had to justify to her boss having the discretionary time off.

How many of you have any contractual entitlement to compassionate leave with pay?

Which way do you want it?

fatblokefromwarwick – Member
When my missus was rushed into hospital with emergency pancreatitis, I asked my boss if I could bring forward my already booked fortnight holiday by two weeks to look after our daughter etc.
She answered simply with a one word reply of ‘No’

Am I the only who thinks that these may have been the last words the said boss ever uttered.

Her response seems so wrong on so many levels it almost seems absurd

moneys not the issue – in my case we would have gladly had it as unpaid leave if it was an option …..