Breaking: Paid Domestic and Family Violence Leave comes into force today.
Today is a historical day.
New laws providing 10 days of paid family & domestic violence leave come into effect today.
The seeds for this historical new workplace right were planted by ASU members. Over ten years ago Australia’s first Domestic Violence leave agreement was negotiated by ASU members in the Surf Coast Shire Council.
ASU members didn’t stop there. For over a decade, ASU members fought workplace by workplace and then nationally for paid family and domestic violence leave.
Because ASU members knew that escaping a violent relationship takes time and money.
Paid family and domestic violence leave can give a person – the time, support and job security they need to escape and recover from an abusive relationship.
The implementation of paid family and domestic violence (FDV) leave into the National Employment Standards will change lives.
What this new workplace right means:
· All workers – full time, part time and casual – will have access to 10 days of paid family & domestic violence leave, regardless of whether they work a 38-hour week, or fewer hours.
· The full 10-days is available immediately when a worker needs it, rather than accumulating over a period like annual and sick leave does.
· There are rules in place to keep workers' information private including that FDV leave must not be included on an employee’s pay slip.
· Full-time and part-time employees can take paid FDV leave at their full pay rate for the hours they would have worked if they weren't on leave. Casual employees will be paid at their full pay rate for the hours they were rostered to work in the period they took leave.
· For workers in businesses with 15 or more employees this comes into effect today. For workers in small businesses, with fewer than 15 employees, the entitlement will start from 1 August, this year.
This campaign took time, and it took determination. But together, we did it. Well done every single ASU member who campaigned and made this happen.
If you have any questions about paid family and domestic violence leave and how to access it, please get in touch at Services Connect on (07) 3844 5300.