Compassionate leave is when you are granted time off work to cope with the death of someone close to you. In Australia it is part of your work entitlements depending on the contractual agreement you have with your employer. You can apply for compassionate leave to deal with:
The death of an immediate family member;
The death of a household member;
A miscarriage or stillbirth of a child;
To provide support when someone in your immediate family or household is suffering from a life-threatening illness or injury.
In some cases employers will also grant compassionate leave to allow you to deal with the death of non-immediate relatives and friends.