From April 1 2019 the Employer must allow all staff up to 10 days paid leave per annum, in addition to holiday and sick leave, in the case of domestic violence.
Whether or not you believe the Employer should bear the cost of such leave is now irrelevant, it's the law.
It is important for Employers to have a policy in place to outline the rules and protections for all parties in these cases.
As an Employer you need to be aware of your legal obligations while providing your staff members with the flexibility and support they require. This includes more than just paid time off.
A couple of important points of note are:
- The request for leave may come from the victim or from the person who has a dependent who has experienced domestic violence.
- The domestic violence may be a historical event, even prior to their employment with you.
- Employees will be able to raise a dispute if they believe that their employer unreasonably refused a request made under the new provisions, and has 6 months to raise that grievance.
Our recommended policy is now available free to members. Log into your
Employers Toolbox account and download from the library section of your Dashboard.