Definition of Family

Compassionate Care Leave - Definition of “immediate family”

The federal government, in June 2006, announced an expanded definition of family for Compassionate Care leave under the Employment Insurance Act.

The Yukon Government has now mirrored the expanded definition of immediate family under the Employment Standards Act for Compassionate Care leave and consequently Bereavement leave.

Expanding the definition of family will provide more employees job protection while caring for a seriously ill family member, with a significant risk of death within a 26 week period, and allow job protection for a greater number of family members to attend a funeral for a family member.

This legislative amendment brings the Yukon in line with federal legislation.

Employees now covered under the Yukon’s definition of “immediate family” are:

Spouse;

Parent;

Step-mother, step-father;

Child, including a child to whom the employee stands in the place of parent;

Brother, sister;

Father of a spouse, mother of a spouse;

Grandparent, grandchild;

Son-in-law, daughter- in-law;

any relative permanently residing in the employee’s household or with whom the employee resides;

Step-parent-in-law of the employee;

uncle, aunt, niece or nephew of the employee or of the employees spouse or common law partner;

step-sibling of the employee

step-sibling-in-law of the employee;

sibling-in-law or step-sibling-in-law of the employee;

current or former foster parent, foster child, ward or guardian of the employee;

spouse or common law partner of a child, grandparent, grandchild, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, current or former guardian or current or former foster child of the employee;

step-child-in-law of the employee;

current or former foster parent or ward of the employee’s spouse or common law partner;

a person who considers the employee to be, or whom the employee considers to be, “like a close relative”.