Family first
Working Families look at what to do if you have to leave work for a family emergency
On March 2 2000 Julie Percy (a single mother working for a Greater Manchester firm of surveyors) received a call at work from her eight-year-old son's school, telling her he had a temperature and a discharge from his ear and needed to see a doctor.
She immediately told her boss and asked for emergency time off to look after her son. Her boss appeared 'irritated'. Five minutes later, as she was leaving the office, a colleague told her she was being sacked for being unreliable.
She appealed and in December 2000 an employment tribunal reached a unanimous decision in her favour. She received compensation for loss of earnings and became the first parent to win a case for unfair dismissal using the regulations allowing parents leave if their child falls ill.
What is 'time off for dependants'?
All employees are entitled to time off work to deal with problems involving dependants. It applies to every employee regardless of how long they've been employed.
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