27/01/2026
☔️ 💨 Storm Chandra 💨 ☔️
With lots of schools closing today at short notice, what if an employee can’t come to work because they have no childcare for today?
Employees are entitled to reasonable time off work (without pay) to deal with an urgent care need that arises. A school closure at short notice is one scenario that would qualify - as would a child becoming ill and unable to go to school or daycare.
Employees and employers can agree that the day be taken as paid annual leave if that suits both parties. If not, the day can be taken as unpaid leave.
It can be disruptive for employers when employees are unexpectedly unable to work at short notice.
While employees have the right to take time off to deal with emergencies, employers can reasonably expect the responsibility to be shared between both parents - where both are responsible for caring for the child.
If both parents are involved in the child’s life, it should not always fall to one parent to take the time off work when the child is sick or school has to close.
It is reasonable for employers to expect parents, where possible, to arrange alternative childcare so the need to take time off work to deal with these emergencies is kept to a minimum.
What is considered reasonable will depend on the nature of each employee’s home circumstances. If an employer feels an employee is taking too much time off to deal with childcare issues, they should approach the conversation sympathetically and be willing to listen. Some employees may need more time than others.
Equally, employees must do their best to keep these absences to a minimum by trying to put provisional plans in place to deal with times when children are sick or schools close at short notice.
Please contact us if you have any queries about this.
If you are out in the storm today, take care.
