5. Find out about critical illness leave

You can take critical illness leave to care for or support a family member who's critically ill.

Critically ill means that:

• there's a big change in the person's health, and
• they might die because of their sickness or injury.

To get critical illness leave, you must have worked for your employer for at least 6 months in a row.

Critical illness leave applies to certain family members, including a close friend who thinks of you as a family member.

Your employer does not have to pay you for the leave, unless you have a contract or workplace policy that says they do. Read more in the Answer under the heading Getting paid.

How long can you take

Over a period of 52 weeks, you may be able to take:

• up to 37 weeks to care for a child who's 17 years of age or younger
• up to 17 weeks for a family member who's an adult

These weeks must be shared by everyone who's taking critical illness leave to care for the same person. This is true even if you work for different employers.

For example, if you take 20 weeks off to care for your child, your spouse will be able to take only 17 weeks off.

Tell your employer

Tell your employer as soon as you know you need a leave.

If you must start your leave before talking to your employer, contact them as soon as you can.

You must tell your employer in writing. You can send an email, text message, or letter.

Written plan

You also need to give your employer a written plan showing which weeks you'll be on leave.

Proving that you need a leave

You need a medical certificate from a doctor, nurse, or psychologist that says that your family member or close friend is:

• critically ill, and
• needs care and support from a family member for a specific period of time.

If you're taking critical illness leave to care for someone who thinks of you as a family member, your employer can ask you for a form called Compassionate Care Benefits Attestation.