To be eligible for compassionate care leave, the employee must:

• submit a request to their employer indicating the expected duration of the leave.

• the employee's family member must be suffering from a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within 27 weeks of the request for leave, and

• the employee must provide a medical certificate confirming the medical condition if requested by the employer.

The period of compassionate leave an employee is entitled to take is 27 weeks within a specified period.

This period begins on the earlier of the day a medical certificate is issued or the day the employee took the leave and ends on the Saturday of the earlier of the 52nd week after the leave began or the week the family member dies.

Compassionate leave can be taken in separate periods, but each period must be at least one week in duration.

The total amount of compassionate leave that may be taken by two or more employees working for the same employer, in respect of the care or support of the same family member, must not exceed 27 weeks in the period.

NWT ESA s.30