Establish a policy on time off for medical or dental appointments

Key points

• There is no statutory right to time off for medical or dental appointments, except in relation to antenatal appointments. In some circumstances, medical or dental treatment will be covered by the rules on sickness absence.
• An employer may wish to introduce a policy on time off for medical or dental appointments, in recognition of the fact that employees will sometimes be unable to make such appointments outside their working hours. Implementing a policy can help to avoid disruption to the organisation.
• The policy could cover practicalities such as payment and notice requirements for time off and provision for the employer to refuse requests in certain circumstances.

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