The Australian government has announced a long-overdue change to allow victims of domestic and family violence access to paid leave.
Starting Wednesday, full time, part-time, and casual employees are all eligible to receive up to 10 days of paid leave at their full rate of pay.
The decision to introduce paid leave for victims of domestic violence has been welcomed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said it would save lives by allowing victims to take time off from work to seek help and safety.
“Too often, victims of domestic violence have been faced with a difficult choice – stay in a dangerous situation or put their job at risk,” Mr Albanese said.
“The new paid leave will provide victims with the financial security to make the right decision for their safety and wellbeing. It will allow them to access legal advice, seek medical help, and attend court proceedings without fear of losing their job.”
The new leave applies to all employees in Australia regardless of their gender, and is designed to help victims of domestic violence access the support they need without risking their employment.
This important new policy means that domestic violence victims can take the necessary time off from work to attend court, seek medical, care and counselling or relocate without having to worry about the financial implications of taking unpaid leave.
The introduction of this paid leave is part of a larger suite of initiatives to improve the safety of victims of domestic violence in Australia.
Starting February 1, the changes will affect at least seven million employees in large and medium businesses throughout the nation. Small businesses, however, will have until August 1 to adjust to the new system, in order to access the scheme.
The legislation also prevents any mention of family and domestic violence leave on a pay slip, while also providing small businesses with access to $3.4 million over four years to help them adjust to the scheme.