(1) The period of carer's leave from employment to which an employee is entitled shall not exceed 104 weeks for each relevant person and may, subject to subsections (2) and (3) and any regulations made under subsection (6), be taken in the form of -

(a) one continuous period of 104 weeks for each relevant person, or

(b) a number of periods, the aggregate duration of which does not exceed a total of 104 weeks from the date of the commencement of the carer's leave.

(2) An employer may refuse, on reasonable grounds, to permit an employee to take a period of carer's leave which is less than 13 weeks duration and where the employer so refuses he or she shall specify in writing to the employee the grounds for such refusal.

(3) An employee who has taken a period of carer's leave in accordance with subsection (1)(b) in respect of a relevant person, shall not be entitled to commence a further period of carer's leave in respect of the same relevant person, until a period of 6 weeks has elapsed since the termination of the previous period of carer's leave.