My child is sick and I need time to look after him/her, but my employer is refusing. Do I have any rights?

You have the right to take reasonable time off to deal with an emergency involving your child if he/she is ill and you need time to make arrangements for their care. The employer does not have to give you paid time off, but many employers do give paid leave in these circumstances, up to a certain number of days a year for example.

If your employer is refusing you time off for this purpose you can refer the matter to an employment tribunal, but there are strict time limits for making such claims.

There is a helpful and free leaflet from the TUC, called Time off for families.

The Working Families website also has resources and information.