Doctors Appointments.. sick or annual leave?

[ShootingStar]

Hi Guys,

Just a quick quesiton.
When going for doctors or hospital appointments while pregnant, does the time you take off work come out or your sick pay or annual leave, providing you supply a doctor's certificate?

My work place says that even though its a doctor's appointment, youre not actually sick so it comes out of your annual leave.. when i was to think that as long as you supply a doctor's certificate it should be classed as sick leave as it relates to your health.

[lissd]

Gosh your work is being a bit nasty. I'm taking all mine as sick leave. I haven't even supplied a Dr certificate yet. Just told my boss I've got a Drs appointment. They don't even know I'm pregnant, so they must be wondering why I'm always at the Drs.

I thought it was law that it was to be taken as sick leave?? Maybe see if you can look it up for your State. I do think they are being very harsh.

[ShootingStar]

They definately are!
I always thought or am sure ive read that any appointments during pregnancy as long as theyre accompanied by a drs certificate come from your sick leave.
I have a hospital appointment this arvo so i will ask them and see if they have any brochures i can bring into work.
Thanks Liss

[Tobily]

I think it should be sick leave.
They're trying to jip you - because sick leave that's not taken generally can't be carried over so you lose it. So basically you're using up annual leave instead of sick leave that you'll lose if you don't use it.
My workplace has flex so I just use that, because if I have no flex it would be sick/personal leave.

[Astrid]

I must have been lucky where I worked. They were not too fussed about appointments, as long as the work was done. I used to try and schedule either around lunch, so my lunch break absorbed some of the time or at the end of the day, so I would just leave work and go home after the appointment. If I did that, I would try to come in earlier and have a shorter lunch break that day.

I think they should allow you to either make up the time, or take it from your sick leave.

[Mel09]

I would call your union. I thought that work places had to pay you sick leave for all Dr/spec appts.

I took sick leave for all my TTC appts and am now taking AL as I have run out of sick leave, but you can't be forced to take it from AL... I am sure the new IR laws haven't changed that...

[Visitor7]

I know with the award I'm on (in Qld though) sick leave is now called Personal Leave which means you don't have to be sick to be entitled to it, it can be doctors app's for pregnancy, caring for a partner when they're sick etc. I'd phone wageline or your union to find out first. I wouldn't be using up my annual leave if I didn't have too.

[Karina]

I llnoked this up a little while ago on the NSW industrial relations website, and it sort of implied sick leave could be used to take time off if you are sick, or if you are looking after a sick relative. It didnt say anything about using sick leave for attending doctors visits. It might be up to your employer whether they want to allow you to use sick leave for that or not.
This was just in the general leave info section, so it might be different if you are on a specific award?

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

In the UK your employer has to just let you go for the appointments, so that's a morning or afternoon off without any bearing on sick/annual leave. DH has to take the antenatal appointments as annual leave, but I don't. However, we are trying to get our appointments as undisruptive as possible to our work - though DH just likes taking full days off for a 3.20pm appointment!

It's worth checking all the laws you can to make sure that they're not messing you around.

[christy]

Yep definately check your IR policy with your award. For my job it is considered as sick leave for maternity appointments. But that is with the proviso that you are supposed to try and get the appointments outside of working hours if possible & because it is shift work it usually is.

[AngelPunks]

I was taking my appointments as sick leave, I asked our HR person and he said since it was a doctors appointment it was classified as sick leave.

[SuzL]

I work in a government department and just asked our HR people - the said I'd be able to se sick leave for appointments which is a big relief

[Lea13]

I was under the impression that it was definately sick leave - especially if you have a Dr's certificate!!

As someone else said - it sounds asthough they are trying to get to use up your AL as they don't have to pay out sick leave but they do have to pay out AL.

[corr]

Actually I believe your right to use sick leave for doctor's appointments while pregnant is protected by the Equal Opportunity /Anti Discrimination Laws in Australia. Contact the Equal Opportunity /Anti Discrimination Laws in your state for more info.
Cheers

[SuzL]

Thanks for the Corr - it's good to see it in writing as it isn't written anywhere in my work documents!

[ChrissyT]

Definately comes out of your sick leave....Victorian teachers are entitled to take 5 sick days (with certificate) to attend Obs and hospital appointments.

I think some employers need a clap over the head.

[Tracey]

Mine was same as yours Astrid, if I had to go see my Ob or to my Chiro at later stage of preg I simply went & if I had enough towards last few weeks I came in later & left earlier!

I tried (sometimes) to make my appts in the afternoon after work, but tended to make them at 3:30 hee hee so I could leave work at 3, nothing was ever mentioned, discussed or asked...

Even now if we have a day off we are supposed to enter it into the Hr leave website but I seem to have kept forgetting & now have 6 wks sick leave owing!!!!


Kell I'd definately contact the union, they sound like a pack of Ba*tards to work for!!!!

[barbie-up]

Another hand up for sick leave. Towards the end, when I was pregnant with Cait, I asked my doctor to write me a sick note for a week off due to 'extreme lethargy' or something like that.

With Alex, I was in another department and made the time up on other days.

Look at all those pregnant tickers up there !!