Time off for Dependants

• Your spouse

• Your children

• Your parents

• Anyone who lives with you in a family way (not a lodger or tenant)

• A person who relies on you for help in the event of accident, illness or injury (such as an elderly neighbour)

• a person who relies on you to make care arrangements

There's no law about how much time you can take, or on how many occasions. Time off for dependents is designed to deal with urgent issues, such as when a dependent falls ill or is injured. It isn't a long term solution, but allows you time to make alternative arrangements. We aim to be flexible, so please talk to your manager about time off you require.

Please speak to your manager. You need to tell them how long you'll be off and give them enough information to understand the nature of the emergency. We'll also ask you to fill in a self-certification form (see below) on your return.

No, we don't usually pay you for time off for dependents. If you need time off and it would put you in financial hardship, please talk to us as we may allow you to make up the time at a later date or be paid some holiday pay.

No, this time off is not designed for non-emergencies- for example if your child has to have an operation and you know about it in advance, this isn't an emergency. In such situations you can apply for holidays, rearrange working hours (if practical) or apply for parental leave (if eligible). Please discuss this with your manager.