Paid domestic violence leave set to be introduced in autumn

It is set to become available to victims in the autumn of this year

Victims of domestic violence leave is set to be formally introduced following the publication of regulations setting out the rate of pay and guidance for employers by Women's Aid. This form of time off was introduced as part of the Work-Life Balance Act, which was passed earlier this year. According to RTÉ, Minister for Equality Roderic O'Gorman said: "Domestic violence leave gives a victim of domestic violence the chance to access support without impacting on their employment and income. "It is important that they can take the leave without worrying about losing income or being put at more risk. "Ensuring that they can receive their full pay will go a long way to help with this." [caption id="attachment_586248" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Credit: Getty[/caption] He told RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland that any employee experiencing domestic violence is entitled to avail of the leave. Workers will need to disclose the type of leave they are looking for when speaking to their employer but will not need to give evidence. "We'll be one of the first European countries to bring in paid leave for victims of domestic violence and this has been a priority for Government, part of our wider response in society and it’s a key priority for the Green Party," he said. "We want to get a balance here to make it as easy as possible for employees to be able to avail of this legislation." If the employer refuses to approve of the leave, the employee can then contact the Workplace Relations Commission. "Recognising it’s new and innovative, we’re going to review it after two years, to look at it's take up and effectiveness," Minister Gorman said. "At that point there’s an opportunity to extend the amount of time for which it can be taken."

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