Dependants and family emergencies

The need to care for dependants, young or adult, can be a driving factor behind sickness absence among some workers. Employees (not agency workers) have the right to reasonable unpaid time off work to deal with family emergencies involving parents, children, a spouse or co-habitee, or anyone who looks to the employee for assistance. There are no limits on how many times an employee can take time off for dependants. An employee can make a complaint to the employment tribunal that they have been unfairly refused time off to care for dependants. Dismissing an employee for taking time off for dependants will be automatically unfair.