I am looking for some advice regarding time off for depenant care.

We have an employee who, since starting with the company on 1st December 2008, has been absent on 7 separate occasions, and 5 of these absences have either been due to her child being unwell or childcare issues. This leave is always unpaid.

As a company, we are generally supportive of employees who require time off for dependants, but when does this level of absence become unreasonable?

We have already had recorded meetings with the employee to advise of our concern, and to request that she look at her childcare arrangements as it seems to be unreliable, but there hasn’t been any improvement.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, and how do you handle it? Have you considered disciplinary action to address this?

Thanks
Donna