Australia’s new paid domestic violence leave, how does it work?

This week, we celebrated a momentous day in Australian employment law.

Paid family and domestic violence leave is now in effect across Australia. This replaces the existing unpaid leave on offer for those affected by family and domestic violence.

The leave will be available to any employee who experiences violent, threatening or other abusive behaviour by a close relative, a current or former intimate partner, or a member of their household that seeks to coerce or control them or causes them harm or fear.

Full-time, part-time and casual employees will all have the right to access 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period, with the Albanese government having passed the law through federal parliament in August.

This morning, Susan Price, Head of Practice for Employment and Discrimination at the Women’s Legal Centre in the ACT joined us to provide a detailed explanation of the new employment leave and ways for employees to access it safely. 

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