Hi,

I need to have some information on family leave and policy and procedure processes please, as my mum is end of life and I will need time off to sort out her affairs and funeral and other matters.

Thank you.

Answered by Sheila Scott

Dear Kay,

I didn’t know the answer to your question but luckily Chris King from Napthens Solicitors did and here is his response:

Thank you for your enquiry and I am sorry to hear about your personal circumstances.

You query appears to relate to what is known as ‘compassionate leave’.

Compassionate leave is designed to help you cope with the death of a close relative, deal with necessary arrangements and attend their funeral. It may also be granted where a close relative is seriously or critically ill.

An employer will generally have a compassionate leave policy in place which outlines how many days leave you will be entitled to take and in what circumstances you will be entitled to take it. Compassionate leave is normally entirely at the discretion of the employer.

Your employer is not required to pay you whilst on compassionate leave but may choose to do so for a limited number of days absence. The details of whether you will be entitled to payment whilst on compassionate leave will be contained in your employer’s compassionate leave policy.

The compassionate leave policy should also set out the procedure for you to request compassionate leave and whether there is any option to extend a period of compassionate leave beyond the initial limit in the policy. You should also consider whether it would be necessary to take annual leave if the compassionate leave period is not sufficient for you to deal with all necessary matters.

You should contact your employer at the earliest opportunity to confirm that you will require a period of leave and outline your reasons for this. You should if at all possible confirm the number of days leave that you will require and request a copy of your employer’s compassionate leave policy if there is one in place. If compassionate leave is granted then you should ensure you maintain contact with your employer throughout the leave to advise of when you will be returning.

Best wishes.

Sheila