Excerpt: Nursing relatives in need of care often demands a great deal of someone. A new law has been enacted in Germany that protects employees who require leave from work to care for relatives against hindrances from their employers. The Nursing Leave Act ('Pflegezeitgesetz') is a novelty in German law. As of 1 July 2008, employees have the right to claim time off in order to look after relatives in need of care -- so-called 'nursing leave.' Relatives include not only members of the immediate family but also grandchildren, grandparents and parents-in-law. However, the new law only applies if the relatives are seriously dependent on care.  MORE >>