Time off to attend interviews

Our man in Havana

Can an employer prevent you from taking time off to attend job interviews? Can they prevent you from seeking better employment?

silverside

You can do whatever you want in your own time. You cannot use employers time or facilities to seek new work, unless you are working your notice. If you need to take unpaid leave or holidays, this can be taken in accordance with whatever policies the employers have laid down.

However if you make it obvious that you are looking for work, this can either annoy co-workers and bosses, make you look disloyal, and/or make them feel they have to offer you something to keep you , or give you hassle to get rid of you quicker.

Unless relations have broken down badly, its better to be subtle about it and just tell them why you feel you should be paid more/have better conditions.

Stephen

make excuses to leave, doctor/dentist appointments and the like.

seamus

For all intents and purposes, your employer has the right to not let you take holidays when you request, but if you take a sick day, and your employer allows you to take x sick days per year without a Doctor's Cert, then they can't stop you ringing in on the day in question.

Wrestlemania

Sick days the best dude, taking days leave here and there will attract attention and if youre leaving because they are muppets, well then screw them.

I work with as5holes at the moment but the market for me is slow but when something comes up I am taking a sickie.

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Bond-007
Can an employer prevent you from taking time off to attend job interviews? Can they prevent you from seeking better employment?

I think if you have been given notice, you can take a "resonable" anount of time off to attend interviews etc. But otherwise I don't think so. You'll just have to take a sickie or a holiday day. Most places these day scehdule interviews early in the morning, or the evening to facilitate people who are working.