Short leave for family events

Short leave gives you paid absence for family events and civic duties: your own wedding, a wedding or death in the family, a communion, or a court summons. You keep your normal pay; the number of days depends on the event and your relationship to the person.

The main cases

The statutory base scheme gives among others: 2 days for your own wedding (to be taken in the week of the wedding or the week after), 1 day for the wedding of a child, sibling or parent, and 1 day for a solemn communion or secular youth celebration of your child. For civic duties (summons as a witness, polling station duty) the necessary time applies, sometimes limited to a number of days.

Bereavement leave

On the death of your partner or a child you are entitled to 10 days of bereavement leave: 3 days of classic short leave paid by the employer, plus 7 additional days (to be taken within the year, paid by the employer). For parents, parents-in-law and siblings, 3 days apply; for further relatives (grandparents, grandchildren) 1 day, or 2 if they lived with you. Sector agreements regularly extend these minimums.

Practicalities

Notify your employer in advance or as soon as possible and provide proof (marriage certificate, death notice, summons). Short leave only applies to days you would normally work: if the event falls on your rostered day off, the base scheme gives no entitlement. If you work shifts, check your sector agreement: it often regulates more favourably how leave days fall in a rotation. See also statutory holidays and public holidays.