Almost all employees have a statutory right to take paid time off work for the following:-
* to carry out duties as a trade union official
* to carry out duties as a trade union health and safety representative
* to look for work if faced with redundancy
* to receive ante-natal care
* to have a baby, to take paternity leave, to take adoption leave or to ask for flexible working hours to care for a child
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In addition, almost all employees have a right to take time off work, although not necessarily with pay, for the following:-
* to participate in trade union activities
* to perform ‘public duties’, for example, being a JP, local authority councillor or school governor
* to care for their children. People who have worked for their employer for one year have the right to unpaid parental leave. You are entitled to 13 weeks’ unpaid leave before your child is five. However, if your child is disabled, you get 18 weeks’ leave which must be taken before the child is 18.
* to attend to unexpected problems with dependants, for example, where child minding arrangements break down. A dependant includes anyone who reasonably relies on the employee
If you have a query about your rights to time off work, or a problem arises in relation to these rights, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau.