The first thing to know: in an acute situation you have the right to simply stay away from work for up to ten working days. This is neither holiday nor sick leave but a separate right, for which notification is enough.
Emergency: up to ten days immediately
When something happens to a relative suddenly, the law gives you the right to stay away from work for up to ten working days. No employer permission is required.
✓ Verified: 01/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
On the first day I phoned and said I was taking these days. I did not ask — I notified, which is exactly how the law intends it.
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Lea recommends:
Claim the support allowance immediately rather than once things have settled. Retrospectively it becomes markedly harder.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need my employer’s agreement? ▾
No. The law grants the right to stay away for up to ten working days where care must be organised in an acute situation. The employer must be informed without delay but does not have to consent.
Are those days paid? ▾
Continued pay is not guaranteed in every case, but a separate benefit from care insurance exists for this period. It is claimed from the care fund of the person needing care, and sooner is much better than later.
Who counts as a close relative? ▾
The group is defined by law and is broader than expected: parents, children, spouses and partners, siblings, grandparents and several of a partner’s relatives. What governs is the statute, not your employer’s assumptions.
Can the days be split? ▾
Yes, the ten working days need not be taken consecutively. But the right serves an acute situation and the organising of care rather than acting as a general pool of days off — and it relates to one person needing care.