Absenteeism for routine clinic visits

[Dave A]

I would like some member insights on how they handle absenteeism for routine, monthly clinic visits - for example to get free birth control pills.
I suppose it might also be to get anti-retrovirals...

Surely this isn't sick leave, is it?

[Richard S]

Don't know what is correct, but I deduct the hours they are not at work and then they arrive by about 10 am. If I don't do that, they are gone for the day.

[IanF]

sick leave if they have a valid sick note otherwise normal leave done with compassion.

[Justloadit]

In my case no doctors note no payment, and I keep a record running, but do not forget the 30 days per 3 years of sick leave, which loosely translates to 10 days per annum. Before they realise it, the 10 days are up, and when they are genuinely ill, they do not get paid.

When the sick leave has been exhausted, they must still bring a doctors note when ill, or the absence gets taken as absconding, and a written warning is issued.

[adrianh]

This is a issue that drives me up the wall. My one employee takes off most Friday mornings to go to the clinic. There is a 50 50 change of him getting to work by 12. He always has a doctors certificate and it is generally for high blood pressure. I don't think that he has high blood pressure from overwork...hell considering the amount of work he does I should be on high blood pressure medication

[Citizen X]

sick leave if they have a valid sick note otherwise normal leave done with compassion.

Ian is exactly right. An employee can only claim sick leave if the employee was actually sick on the day in question. Routine visits to a clinic or other health facility for check ups or to collect medicine can never be said to be a situation where an employee is actually sick on that day

[sterne.law@gmail.com]

Visits to clinics and doctors are not sick leave.
It makes sense to make that clear.
A clinic note is not a sick note as it is seldom, if ever, issued by a medical practitioner.
That then begs the question of what to do? If there is an accesible clinic that is ooen on a Saturday then it takes care of that. If not, the annual leave allotment may be prudent.

As to Adrians hypertension levels - it is not neccessary for an employee to have used all sick leave to be able to take action.
First, let us not forget that absence of a single day does npt require a note to be paid, but, if absent twice within 2 months then a sick note is required.
When an employee is routinely off sick we need to determine if its abuse orsickness.
I normally analyse the pattern looking for single days before and after off days and holidays. This tends to point to abuse.
Even if not abuse, the regular absencecan be actioned through ill health pointing out that the employee is perhaps not fit to work. Most times the absence stops. That could then point to abuse.
If the employee continues to be ill, then the enquiry may result in a capacity dismissal.

[HR Solutions]

I have a guy working for me that takes off one thursday once a month - comes in between 10 and 11am. I pay him in full.
But he is a honest hard worker and is prepared to put in extra if I ask him.