Compassionate leave

What rights do nannies (and other employees) have if a close family member dies or becomes seriously ill?

It is up to the nanny to request compassionate leave and the employer should allow the nanny time off to deal with family emergencies, the question is how much? The law isn't very helpful and simply states that the employer should be "reasonable". If the nanny's family live in the same city or county one or two days may be considered reasonable, but if nanny is from Australia the matter is clearly different and the nanny may require several weeks off. In this instance she may be required to use some of her holiday entitlement. 

From a contractual point of view the employer does not have to pay the nanny for compassionate leave, any payment is made at their absolute discretion.