My employers rules were that you could go to appointments during working hours but you had to either take a half day leave or make up the time. There was also a three strikes rule re sickness absence. If you were off more that 3 times in a (rolling) year then you were hauled up in front of your manager and HR and basically given an improvement notice (i.e. no sickness for 6 months) The 3 strikes rule applied if you were off for a week at a time or 3 one day absenses. This led to situations on the call centre where people were so terrified of having a day off that when gastric flu was going round people would come in and throw up in their wastebins by their desk. As the next shift used the same desks you can see why it went round like wild fire. I just thank whoever that I don't have to deal with them any more.