Decide the organisation's policy on compassionate leave

Key points

Employees have a right to take a reasonable amount of time off work in relation to their dependants in specified circumstances, such as the death of a loved one.
Beyond this, employers are not required to offer employees compassionate leave for personal problems. However, giving people time off to deal with a difficult personal situation can demonstrate the employer's commitment to employees and make it an employer of choice.
Employers that offer compassionate leave should decide on factors including the circumstances in which compassionate leave is available, the amount of time off that employees can take and whether the time off is paid or unpaid.