Employees are entitled to take leave from work to care for their critically ill family members.

An employee can take a leave of up to:

• 37 weeks to provide care and support to their critically ill child family member, and

• 17 weeks to provide care and support to their critically ill adult family member.

During this leave, the employee has job protection and is entitled to continue receiving their benefits (such as health insurance, pension contributions, etc.) as if they were still working. However, the employee will not receive their regular pay during this time.

The leave will end in several circumstances such as:

• if the employee is no longer providing care or support to the child or adult family member, then the leave will end.

• if 52 weeks have passed since the medical certificate was issued, then the leave will also end.

The medical certificate must be signed by a qualified health professional and state that the family member is critically ill and requires care and support.

The leave will also end at the end of the 37 or 17-week period, depending on the situation, or if the critically ill family member passes away.

In the case of a child, the leave can also be extended for up to 14 weeks if the child's condition has not improved or has worsened. During this extension, the employee will still have job protection and benefits.

It's important to note that employees must give their employer reasonable notice before taking this leave, and provide documentation (such as the medical certificate) to support their need for the leave.

SK SEA s.2-57