MEDIA RELEASE: 28 October 2022
10 Days of paid Family and Domestic Violence leave has been made law.
The paid leave has been introduced to the National Employment Standards and from February 1st 2023, Australians will be entitled to ten days of paid Family and Domestic Violence leave after the bill was passed through the Albanese government on Thursday October 27th 2022.
The changes will come into effect from February 1st , 2023 for all employees in Australia.
Small businesses have been given an extra six months to adjust to the new rules and will begin from August 1, 2023.
‘Violence doesn’t discriminate and neither should the law’
Currently, only five days of unpaid leave is available to Australian employees experiencing domestic violence.
What can I expect as an Employee and/or Employer?
- The 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave will be available to full-time, part-time and casual employees.
- The payment will be available as an upfront payment at the commencement of each year, meaning the leave is not accrued by an employee annually.
- Perpetrators will not be covered under this act.
- The changes will come into effect on February 1st 2023 with small businesses given an extra six months to adjust to the new rules and will begin on August 1st 2023.
This law comes as a life line to working men, women and families who are effected by family and domestic violence. On average it costs $18,000 to flee a domestic or family violence situation, paid leave is crucial to giving impacted workers the time and resources they require.
The passing of the bill does not solve the issue but it does mean no employee in Australia will be ‘forced to make a choice between earning a wage or protecting themselves and their families’.
