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Caring for Dependants and time off

Sharon

| 0 Posts

3 Apr, 2019 09:18

Looking for some advice please:)

We pay our staff 5 days per annum for emergency care for dependants. 

There is a question now where some of the employees are reaching their 5 days and concerned about unpaid days once they have reached their policy entitlement. 

Some of our roles are able to be carried out at home and others (teachers) are not and the employees who are able to work from home have asked if they would be able to work from home (paid)  if the need arises to care for their dependants.  

My feeling is that this would be unfair to the employees who are unable to work from home as their care leave would be unpaid and their colleagues who can work from home would be paid.  Also would home working be productive whilst caring for a dependant?

What should I advise the HT.

Thoughts appreciated 

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  • Melissa

    | 0 Posts

    10 Jul, 2019 14:20

    In reply to Sasha:

    The contracts are also different (depending on the type of school) - teaching staff are paid for 52 weeks and support staff usually 38/39 weeks term time only plus holiday. This might also affect your approach.
  • Samantha

    | 0 Posts

    11 Jul, 2019 20:16

    I'd agreed with the comments saying the allowance is generous in the first place. In a climate where schools are making serious cut backs and extremely tight budgets allowing 5 days paid time is very generous. I would say generous when many roles in education have a 195 day year. I think I would also consider the data you have in relation to this leave because what are the chances of somebody needing to use all 5 days consistently for year on year, it may need consideration of if it is genuinely an emergancy. I've worked across 3 different public sectors and seen this leave misused commonly.
    I would be giving consideration to the fairness of allowing some staff to work from home to allow for avoiding unpaid leave when you are aware some staff could not do that.