Compassionate Leave

 

Meaning of Compassionate leave 

Compassionate leaves are applied in the rare case of family emergencies like the illness of a family member, death, and tragic events of the same degree.

These leaves should be applied only in extreme cases since companies provide them to make your life easier during difficult times.

While many confuse compassionate leave with bereavement leave, the two are very different. Bereavement leave is applied after the death of a near or dear one to mourn the loss, while the compassionate leave is a special leave of absence that you can use to take care of an ailing family member.

Like other office leaves, companies are not legally required to include compassionate leaves in their policies but given, the nature of these leaves, organizations with good company culture will allow them.

Compassionate leave sample letters

Here are samples to help you apply for compassionate leaves.

Sample letter 1- Compassionate leave for death

Sub: Request to approve compassionate leaves

Dear Sir/Ma’am,

I regret to inform you that my grandfather (relative) passed away earlier this morning (date/time).

I have just been informed about it and will have to leave immediately to be with my family for the last rights and the funeral.

Request you to please grant me compassionate leaves for the next two weeks (duration of leave).

I apologize for any inconvenience caused due to my absence in this unforeseeable situation and thank you in advance for your kind consideration.

Regards,
(Your name)

Sample letter 2- Compassionate leave for illness of a family member

Sub: Compassionate leave application

Dear (Name of supervisor),

I am writing to inform you that I am applying for compassionate leave starting tomorrow owing to my sister’s (relative’s name) knee surgery (ailment).

I am requesting leaves for five days (duration of leave) to take care of her post-surgery and will try to join back by 30th January (Date of joining).

I will be available on call for anything urgent, and in my absence, I have asked Mr. Kumar (Point of contact in absence) to attend to my clients.

Kindly please approve the leaves at the earliest.
Yours's Sincerely,
Gaurav

Sample letter 3- Compassionate leave for general medical reasons

Sub: Application of compassionate leave- 15 January to 25 January

Hi (Manager Name),

I am writing to you to request 10 days off starting from 15th January to 25th January. My wife is 24 weeks pregnant and due to some complications, needs to be on bed rest for some time.

The doctor has advised constant care, owing to which, I am requesting this leave of absence. I will be available on my cell at all times in case of any emergency.

Please consider my request and approve the leaves for this duration.
Thank you in advance!

Regards,
Raghu

How to write compassionate leave- tips and tricks

1. Inform your boss at the earliest

Since compassionate leaves are for medical emergencies, they cannot be planned. Since informing in advance is not an option here, make sure you inform your boss and apply for leaves at the earliest possible minute.

2. Address the letter/email to all concerned people

While applying for compassionate leaves, keep everyone in the loop about your leave of absence. Some people you must inform include immediate supervisors, colleagues, HR manager.

3. Write a short but detailed letter

Sparing too much time to draft a compassionate leave letter is not going to be possible. So, keep it short and provide all the necessary information. Some things to include are:

• Duration of leave
• Reason for applying for compassionate leave
• Date of rejoining
• Plan of action (if any) in your absence.
• Contact details if someone needs to reach out

Conclusion

The thought of having to write a compassionate leave letter Is gut-wrenching. But in a rare situation where you need to draft one, we hope you will find these sample letters useful.

FAQs:

1. How to request compassionate leave?
   Approach your employer or HR department with sensitivity and respect. Clearly explain the circumstances requiring compassionate leave, such as a family member's illness or death. Provide any necessary documentation, such as a death certificate or medical records. Follow your company's procedures for requesting leave and offer to discuss any necessary arrangements for covering your workload during your absence.

2. What is an example of compassionate leave?
   An example of compassionate leave could be requesting time off from work to care for a terminally ill family member, attend a funeral or memorial service, or support loved ones during a difficult time. It's typically granted to employees to deal with personal emergencies or family crises.

3. How to apply for compassionate leave?
   Notify your employer or HR department as soon as possible about the compassionate circumstances requiring leave. Provide details about the situation, such as the nature of the emergency or illness, and specify the dates you'll need to be absent. Be prepared to provide documentation, such as a doctor's note or death certificate, if required. Follow your company's leave request procedures and offer to discuss any necessary arrangements during your absence.

How to Apply For

 For many people, the long and tiring process of adopting a new baby can take a toll on their health. And, much like when new parents take maternity or paternity leave to take care of their newborn, it is only fair that new parents who have adopted a new child take some much-needed time away from work.

Understanding the long wait period and hardships that can come with adoption, many companies now permit their employees to take parental leaves for adoption. However, few employees know they can ask for adoption leave. So, in this article, we share with you what an adoption leave is, how to apply for adoption leaves along with some tips.

Adopting a child is one of the greatest joys in the life of many parents, but the process can be nerve-wracking.

From long waiting periods to disappointments along the way, adoptive parents face a lot of hardships as they wait to have a child they can call their own

What Is Adoption Leave?

Adoption leaves are taken by employees with their employers’ permission when they adopt (or plan to adopt) children and spend some personal time bonding with them and taking care of them.

Many companies now realize that providing adoption leave can benefit employees and employers, improving employee attrition rates and increasing productivity.

Although the Maternity Benefit Act (1961) grants 12-week leave to adoptive mothers if the child is three months old or less, the leave duration differs depending on the company.

How to Apply for Adoption Leave

The following steps will show you how you can apply for adoption leave effectively – 

Do Your Homework

The first step is determining your company’s policy on adoption leave. Companies generally provide maternity and paternity leave to new parents. However, adoption leave is still a fairly new concept in India. So, go through every document your HR made you sign when you joined the company or browse the company website to see if such a policy is in place. You can even directly go to your HR and ask them. 

Talk To Your Reporting Manager

Before sending in the adoption leave application, have a word with your reporting manager to give him a heads-up. Set up a meeting and let him know about your intentions to take some time off work to be with your adopted child. This would also be the perfect time to assure him that your work will not suffer as you plan to delegate your duties and responsibilities while you are away. 

Look For Someone Who Will Be Taking Over For You

Your work will still need to be done while you are gone. So, you need to find someone in your team or an intern who can handle your responsibilities in your absence. Let them know that should any crisis arise, they can always reach you on your cell phone. 

Add All Necessary Details In The Adoption Leave Letter

When writing the adoption leave letter or email, ensure that you add the correct dates, duration of how long you will be gone, subject line, name(s) of the employee(s) who will be taking over for you, as well as your signature and contact information. Before sending it, ensure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. 

CC Or BCC Other Important Employees

As adoption leave can last long, ensure that you tag your team and other important figures when you send your application for adoption leave to give them a heads up. For instance, if you are sending the email to your HR, ensure that you add your reporting manager, team members, team leader, etc., in the email thread.

Adoption Leave Sample

Dated: The 30th of October, 2022

To,
Mohit Pal
Human Resources
ABC Company
JKL, MV-52, Green Park
Delhi, India 110069

Subject: Application for Adoption Leave

Dear Mohit,

I, Alia Singh from the Sales team, would like to share that after a year-long wait, my husband and I have fortunately found a baby to adopt. She will be joining our family on the 10th of November, 2022. 

So, I would like to ask you to grant me a 12-week adoption leave, starting 9th of November, 2022, per the company leave policy. 

In my absence, Miss Betsy Bale and Mrs Kim Raltr have agreed to take over my responsibilities and divide the tasks at their convenience. Also, should there be any emergency, I will only be a phone call away. 

I would be very grateful if you could kindly accept my adoption leave request. 

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

Signature
Alia Singh
Sales Executive
ABC Company
Mob: 8867097656
Email: aman.2007@gmail.com

Adoption Leave Challenges Faced By Parents In India

Anyone who has gone through adopting a new baby will tell you how challenging and time-consuming adoptions can be. People have to wait years to match with a child. Moreover, it can be particularly difficult for working professionals as it is not always easy to find time to do it all.

If you are a working professional who is planning to adopt any time soon, here are some challenges you may need to be on the lookout for:

1. Many companies in India still do not offer or even refuse to give adoption leaves to their employees. This is mainly because the legal provisions of the adoption leave policy are only applicable if the children are below a certain age. 
2. As mentioned earlier, the Maternity Benefit Act (1961) grants only 12-week leave to adoptive mothers if the child is three months old or less. While most companies follow this policy, it can still be considered unfair. Why? Regarding adoption, parents can adopt a child of any age. And be it for a newborn or a 3-year-old toddler, the adjusting period and impact are very similar.

Conclusion

Being a new parent, be it to a biological or adoptive child, can be a rewarding experience. However, the challenges that come with it cannot be ignored. Especially when it comes to adoptive children, there has to be ample time to adjust for the new family to find solid ground.