I think you've zeroed in on exactly the correct word, and that's “may”. The purpose of this provision is to recognize the intent of the new leave for employees, but to also recognize that there's always a need to balance this against the needs of employers. There's nothing in the legislation as it is now that prohibits an employer from providing the leave in any amount of time that they wish.
It's very important to recognize that in many industrial sectors and types of businesses in the federally regulated private sector it may be very difficult, for operational or administrative reasons, for some employers to let their employees take time off for a few hours and return to work afterwards in the same day. In the consultations that were held prior to this legislation being developed, that was something that came across very strongly from employers, and from large employers as well as small ones. The legislation as it is now provides employers with the flexibility to require that the leave be taken in periods of at least one full working day, but it will not prohibit them from offering it in other periods.