Sorry for your sisters loss. Pretty confident on this one: Bereavement leave in NZ at a minimum is for three days but must be a direct family member - so your spouse/partner, parents, grandparents, children or siblings. It should cover step parents also. Legally aunts, uncles, cousins etc aren’t but it’s at your employers discretion. Your half sister’s/step sister’s father unfortunately doesn’t meet the threshold, again it’s at your employers discretion. However, that stinks you were verbally okayed, but was it agreed for time off or LWP? Was there a miscommunication between you and your employers? Source: I teach employment agreements.