Yes the company I work for has always been superb with regard to compassionate leave. It has always been paid and exclusive of normal leave. The company has also acted in a manner above any simple duty of care requirements by placing resources such as its travel department and providing accommodation at its own expense when it wasn't under any strict obligation to do so. They have also provided a liason and in every case left me under no doubt that I should take whatever time I see fit to attend to the situation before returning to work and offering any assistance that I may feel I require from them.
Obviously there is a mutual understanding as to what compassionate leave may be required for, and each case must be assesed by both parties as to its relative merits. Clearly a serious illness or death of an immediate family member ( spouse, sibling, parent or child ) would have a greater gravitas than perhaps a more distant family member. It might well be that the individual would be expected to utilize their own leave allocation in such situations or if the total period was likely to be protracted beyond a reasonable level. Again I am sure each case is assesed on its merits and sympathetically.