In recognition of the impact Domestic Violence has on victims, the Fair Work Act now includes 10 days Domestic Violence Leave per 12-month period. Staff employed in large organisations have been entitled to this leave since February 1. For smaller businesses, staff will become entitled to Domestic Violence Leave from 1 August this year.
That’s the legislation, but what does it really mean for your business?
1. Domestic Violence Leave is available to all staff – regardless of gender or whether they work full-time, part-time or are casuals.
2. The leave isn’t pro-rata. Your staff are entitled to take advantage of Domestic Violence Leave from the moment they begin working for your business.
3. With this additional leave, you need to start budgeting for it. It’s not cumulative but it sits there, year in, year out – making it an additional expense for your business.
4. Talking about domestic violence is difficult for managers and employers as well as for victims. So you need to consider how you and your leadership team are going to manage these tough conversations. You may wish to have a designated person for staff to talk to. If you are looking for external support for this role, we can assist your business.
5. Will you require evidence from a staff member wishing to take Domestic Violence Leave in a similar way to requiring a medical certificate from staff taking sick leave? If you do, what sort of evidence do you need and at what point do you ask for it?
We can help you create a policy, procedures and possibly management training on how to sensitively conduct this type of discussion.
Should a staff member come to you about their need for Domestic Violence Leave, we can also assist you if you would like support to handle this delicate personal matter.
6. Do you, your management team or even your staff need training on how to handle conversations with staff members suffering abuse? Or maybe you would like to provide everyone in your team with a list of resources and organisations who support victims of domestic violence? Perhaps you would like to provide additional support for valued staff members who are victims of abuse?
All of these things need careful preparation and we are happy to assist you.
We’re here for the tricky people management stuff
Budgeting for Domestic Violence Leave entitlements is something your accountant and bookkeeper can advise you on. When it comes to having difficult conversations or developing policies and procedures to support your managers and staff, we are here to help. Get in touch with End2end Business Solutions on 02 8977 4002.