DARMSTADT (dpa-AFX) - The pharmaceutical and technology group Merck wants to support employees worldwide when they are caring for seriously ill family members. With a new program, the DAX-listed company is giving employees at least ten days of financially secured leave for care, Merck announced in Darmstadt. The program will be gradually introduced in all markets in which the company operates over the next twelve months.

The program is aimed at employees who have to care for "immediate family members in a critical state of health", such as parents, children or partners, explained the company, which employs around 63,000 people in 65 countries. This does not necessarily involve full wage compensation, but rather financial security, which is still being determined locally, explained a Group spokeswoman.

"An increasingly important issue in an ageing society"

Merck is not alone in offering financial security for employees who provide care, says Ernesto Klengel, Scientific Director at the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute for Labor and Social Law at the Hans Bockler Foundation. In view of the global nature of the claim, however, the program is progressive and provides important security for carers.

"It is not always foreseeable that a loved one will need extraordinary care, and any of us can suddenly find ourselves in such a situation," said Merck CEO Belén Garijo. That's why we want to relieve employees of at least one worry so that they can concentrate on their family at such times.

Nothing will change for Merck employees in Germany for the time being, the company spokeswoman continued. In Germany, there is already a legal entitlement under the Caregiver Leave Act, which allows up to ten days' leave. Merck pays the full salary for the first two days and the care insurance fund covers the remaining eight days, subject to restrictions.

However, this is often different abroad. There, employees can stay away from work to care for relatives - but sometimes completely unpaid. "In an ageing society, this issue is becoming increasingly important."

Regulations in collective agreements - but legal leeway

"Caring for close relatives is a major problem for many employees due to the precarious supply in the care sector and the growing demand," said expert Klengel. Opportunities for time off are usually found in comprehensive collective agreements. In the metal and electrical industry, for example, there is a right of choice to convert salary components into days off to care for relatives. The issue is also partly regulated in company agreements.

The right to short-term leave from work to care for relatives is guaranteed by law in Germany, said Klengel. However: "The legal situation regarding remuneration during this time is not yet fully legally secure." According to the prevailing legal opinion, an entitlement to remuneration should cover exactly ten days./als/DP/jha