Paid leave to care for terminally ill

A LAW giving workers the right to paid leave to care for a dying friend or relative has been passed unanimously by the Senate and is close to coming into force.

MPs from all parties in the National Assembly have already voted in favour of the initiative, which will offer a daily payment of €49 for up to 21 days out of work.

It was originally proposed that the compensation would only be available to someone related to the terminally ill patient - either a parent, child or sibling - or someone who shares a home with them.

However, according to GPs' trade magazine Le Généraliste, senators have amended the law to apply to anyone the dying person has trusted to look after them at home, regardless of whether they have a family link.

People can also claim a reduced payment if they choose to cut their hours instead of stopping work altogether.

Under the current system, workers are allowed to take time off to care for a dying relative, but they are not paid.

The new payment will apply both to employees and the self-employed, but it is only for one person linked to each patient.

It is expected that up to 20,000 people will claim the benefit each year, at a total cost of around €20 million.

The law now needs to go back to the National Assembly for a brief final reading before it is fully passed.