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What to do if…
your employer refuses to let you leave during a family or medical emergency

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

State clearly that an emergency has occurred and that you need to leave, then give your employer the essential information as soon as you safely can. Call 999 if someone is in immediate danger or has a life-threatening medical emergency.

Do not do these things

  • Do not delay emergency medical help while arguing about permission to leave.
  • Do not drive if illness, medication, injury or distress makes driving unsafe.
  • Do not resign, sign documents or accept disciplinary allegations during the emergency.
  • Do not disclose more private medical information than is needed to explain the immediate absence.
  • Do not become involved in a physical confrontation if you can move to a safer place instead.
  • Do not assume that annual leave is the only possible way to record the absence.

What to do now

  1. Deal with immediate danger first. Call 999 for a life-threatening medical emergency or an immediate threat to someone’s safety. For urgent medical help that does not appear life-threatening, use NHS 111 in England, NHS 24 on 111 in Scotland, NHS 111 Wales, or your GP out-of-hours or local urgent-care route in Northern Ireland.
  2. Tell your manager or the person in charge: “This is a family or medical emergency. I need to leave now.” Say whether the emergency concerns you or someone who depends on you and give a rough indication of when you can provide an update.
  3. If the emergency involves a dependant, say that you need time off to deal with an unexpected emergency involving them. Employees are generally entitled to a reasonable amount of time off for this purpose, and the time does not usually have to be paid.
  4. If you are personally too unwell to work, state that you are unfit to continue working and are leaving because of sickness. Follow your employer’s sickness-reporting procedure as soon as it is safe and practical.
  5. Send a short text, email or workplace message recording what happened, when you notified the employer and who responded. In an emergency involving a dependant, you may leave before notifying your employer when prior notice is not possible, but you should tell them as soon as possible.
  6. Arrange safe transport. Ask a trusted person, colleague, taxi or ambulance for help rather than driving when you are not fit to do so.
  7. If someone is physically preventing you from leaving, threatening violence or withholding access to emergency help, move towards other people or a safer place where possible and call 999. Report a non-emergency incident online or by calling 101.
  8. After the immediate emergency is stable, save relevant messages and write a brief factual timeline. Before responding to threatened disciplinary action or dismissal, speak to your trade union or staff representative, Acas if you work in England, Scotland or Wales, or the Labour Relations Agency if you work in Northern Ireland.

What can wait

You do not need to decide now whether to resign, submit a grievance, start a legal claim, disclose full medical details or agree that the absence was misconduct. Questions about pay, evidence, workplace policy and whether the absence should be recorded as sickness, time off for dependants or another type of leave can wait until the immediate emergency is stable.

Important reassurance

Your employer’s refusal does not prevent you from contacting emergency services. Employees can generally take a reasonable amount of time off to deal with an unexpected emergency involving a dependant, although payment is not normally required by law. If you are personally unfit to work, the absence will usually be handled under sickness procedures instead.

Scope note

This guide covers the first steps during and immediately after the refusal. Later decisions about a grievance, disciplinary process, employment status, pay or possible legal action may require advice from Acas in England, Scotland or Wales, the Labour Relations Agency in Northern Ireland, a trade union or an employment specialist.

Important note

This is general information, not legal or medical advice. Your rights can depend on your employment status, where in the UK you work, the nature of the emergency and whether the person involved legally counts as a dependant. Follow instructions from emergency services and healthcare professionals where they conflict with workplace directions.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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