[5] It is used by travel insurance policies to determine a set of people on the basis of whose health someone might need to cancel a journey or return early.
In California, for purposes of subdivision of Labor Code Section 2066, "immediate family member" means spouse, domestic partner, cohabitant, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, great grandparent, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepsibling, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or first cousin (that is, a child of an aunt or uncle).
"[8] The Australian Fair Work Act 2009, Section 12, defines immediate family as "a spouse, de facto partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of the employee; or a child, parent, grandparent or sibling of a spouse or de facto partner of the employee.
"[9] A travel insurance policy which covers curtailment due to the death or illness of a member of the policy-holder's "immediate family" uses a wide definition but adds residential requirements: "Immediate Family is your Partner, and: parents, children, stepchildren, fostered or adopted children, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, or grandparents, of either you or your Partner, who live in your Home Country."
"[10] In the United States, where health care costs are high, immediate family members typically purchase travel medical insurance plans for relatives or parents visiting USA, to cover health care costs due to sickness or injury while they are visiting them outside their home country.
[12] Even if a person is not a joint owner, if they are an immediate family member a bank is likely to give them access to the deceased's safety deposit box.
[3] Sometimes, "authorized" absence due to the death of one's immediate family member allows an employee to still be eligible for an attendance bonus.