It seems that both workers and managers are experiencing some confusion regarding how the new PEL days are to be used.
As the name implies, these days are supposed to be used to deal with emergencies – anything from the babysitter cancelled, mom had to go to hospital, the hot water tank flooded the basement, or the car broke down.
But PEL days can also be used to cover routine things like doctor and dentist appointments that can’t be scheduled outside of normal work hours.
The problem seems to center around “how much notice” a worker has to give. Because these days are designed to cover emergencies, there really is no way to enforce a “reasonable” amount of advance notice for the “emergency”.
However, if the employee wishes to use the PEL day for anything that is not an emergency, such as an appointment, they are still required to abide by the workplace’s policy on reasonable notice so that the employer has the ability to cover the shift with other staff if needed.
