5. Categories Of Leave

The following categories of leave are provided for:

Family responsibility leave is granted to a Member on the grounds of illness of his/her child, illness of his/her spouse or life partner, illness of his/her extended family or death of his/her spouse, adopted child, grandchild, sister, brother or a Member of the extended family. A Member is entitled to 5 (five) working days family responsibility leave annually, provided that a sick certificate or death certificate is provided.

Compassionate leave is granted to a Member in exceptional circumstance where the Member's Family Responsibility leave has been exhausted, but he or she still requires additional leave. This leave is limited to 5 (five) working days annually.

Maternity leave is granted for 4 (four) consecutive months. A Member may commence maternity leave at any time from four weeks before the expected date of birth, unless otherwise agreed. A Member who has had a miscarriage during the third trimester of pregnancy or bears a stillborn child is entitled to maternity leave for six weeks after the miscarriage or stillbirth.

Parental/Adoption leave is granted for 4 (four) consecutive months to the primary caregiver in a civil union or civil marriage in the event of the adoption of a child under the age of 2 years upon receipt of an adoption order from the Children's Court. This leave will also be granted to the primary caregiver of a child born from a surrogacy agreement on receipt of a birth certificate.

Spousal leave is granted to an individual partner, who is not the primary caregiver, in a civil union or civil marriage following the birth or adoption of a child under the age of 2 years. A Member is entitled to 3 (three) weeks spousal leave provided that a birth certificate or adoption order from the Children's Court is provided.

Political party business leave may be granted to a Member on request from his or her political party in order to engage in political work outside the precincts of Parliament. A Member must clearly specify in writing the number of days required and present communication from the leadership of the Member's party confirming that the Member requires party political leave. This leave is limited to 30 (thirty) working days annually, however should the Member be absent for 15 or more sitting days the approval of the house will be required.

Private business leave may be granted to enable a Member to conduct his/her private business. A Member is entitled to 5 (five) working days private business leave annually, provided that the business interests are approved by the political party and declared to Parliament in terms of the Code of Ethics.

Study leave is granted to a Member who is registered as a student of a formal institution of education or training or a Member who is registered for a course with a formal institution of education or training. A Member is entitled to 2 (two) working days leave for preparation for an exam and 1 (one) day for writing of an exam upon providing proof of the date of the examination.

Cultural or religious leave may be granted to a Member on request. A Member is entitled to 2 (two) days cultural or religious leave annually.

Sick leave is granted due to the illness or injury of a Member. A Member applying for sick leave must ensure that the application for leave is accompanied by a medical certificate if the Member is absent for more than 2 (two) days. A Member is entitled to 15 (fifteen) working days sick leave annually. Where sick leave is not taken in a year it may be transferred to the next year in a 3 year cycle.

Special leave may be granted when a Member requests, on approval of the political party, for extraordinary purposes or incidents not limited to appearing before a court, traditional initiation, cultural training, to undertake special research or attend block study classes, to attend a workshop, seminar or conference either locally or internationally. The Member must state the purpose and the number of days required. This leave is limited to 5 working days annually.