5 paid days off per year - For all workers ?

Force majeure leave

Force majeure is a legal term which means that some important and critical event has occurred, as a result, releasing the person directly affected from his or her legal obligations in a particular matter that would otherwise have applied.

It entitles an employee to a number of paid days leave, in order to deal with a family emergency arising from an unforeseen injury to or illness of an immediate family member, which requires the employee's immediate presence at their side.

Under Force majeure leave, the employee is entitled to paid leave for up to three days in any 12-month period or five days in any period of 36 consecutive months.

Bereavement excluded

Force majeure leave specifically excludes bereavements - currently there is no statutory entitlement to paid time off resulting from a family bereavement. (However many companies would have a policy granting some leave in this regard.)

The immediate family members of the employee covered for the purposes of Force majeure leave are:

-A child of the employee, including adopted children.

-A spouse or person with whom the employee is living as a husband or wife.

-A person to whom the employee is in loco parentis (a guardian).

-A brother or sister of the employee.

-A parent or grandparent of the employee.

The scope of the act does not extend beyond the immediate family, e.g. to the mother-in-law.

There is no service requirement for an employee to take Force majeure leave.

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