Leave for a biopsy, possible cancer

[vickibee]

Just want to clarify if this is classed as hol or sick leave. My colleague was made to take holiday for her breast last year. I have been refereed and think really it should be sickness? It says in the t ANC c of our staff handbook that scheduled appointments should be hol but surely this means stuff like dentist or opticians not stuff like this. I am appalled at their attitude but my colleague did not want to rock the boat and she got the all clear. What is the legal position?

[felinesad]

It surely should be holidays it's a scheduled appointment like anything else??? If it turns out to be more and treatment is required then that is where sick leave would come in because for various reasons you're not fit to do your job.

Also presumably if you put a days sick leave in for various medical tests it would kick in attendance management procedures.

When I was initially diagnosed with BC my initial appointments were all holidays because my way of coping was keeping things as normal as possible and I carried on working. I then had two weeks sick leave after my operation, four weeks back at work then so far four months off sick once the chemotherapy started.

I go onto half pay after six months so I really wouldn't have wanted to use sick days for hospital appointments when I wasn't actually sick.

Hope everything goes ok.

[manchestermummy]

Where I work, appointments such as the doctor are expected to be attended in your own time, or at the start or end of the day if completely unavoidable. Hospital appointments are understood to be harder to arrange outside of working hours and as such these can be attended in work time.

Hope all turns out well for you.

[HermioneWeasley]

There's no right to time off for medical appointments. Employers are within their rights to ask people to use annual leave; however I would not personally do that for a cancer biopsy as I think it's incredibly poor practice.

[vickibee]

It is a thyroid lump, already had ultrasound scan and found something unusual, have to go for a biopsy, don't much fancy a needle in my throat. I feel it should be classed as sick leave when it is so serious

[flowery]

It's a bit mean, but certainly not unlawful as has been said. If you employer offer sick pay they are allowed to put conditions on that, and those conditions can certainly include that scheduled appointments are not included in sick pay entitlement.

[HattyMonkey]

Hi, I work in payroll. Legally if we were told it was for a one day appointment it would be for pay purposes a holiday as the first 3 days of sick leave would not be paid under SMP. If your company has a different sickness policy then they can of course class it as one day's sickness and pay you.

[vickibee]

We get full pay for three months, private sector, followed by smp, I have had two days sickness in 3 1/2 years so a good record.