Family and Domestic Violence Leave Policy
From 1 August 2023, all employees in small businesses (with less than 15 employees on February 1 2023) will have access to 10 days' paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12 month period. This leave is applicable to all full-time, part-time and casual employees. The entitlement to paid family and domestic violence leave comes from the National Employment Standards (NES) and is a minimum leave entitlement as with annual leave or sick and carer's leave.
The Fair Work Ombudsman outlines that Family and Domestic Violence Leave is separate from sick and carer's leave and it is defined as violent, threatening or other abusive behaviour by certain individuals known to an employee that both:
- seeks to coerce or control the employee
- causes them harm or fear.
Employees must be experiencing family and domestic violence to be eligible to take paid family and domestic violence leave. This leave can be taken if they need to undertake certain tasks to deal with the impact of family and domestic violence. Examples include:
- making arrangements for their safety, or safety of a close relative (including relocation)
- attending court hearings
- accessing police services.
The leave doesn’t need to be taken all at once and can be taken as single or multiple days.
If you are unsure how this leave might apply in your practice or you would like to discuss the AMA Queensland templated leave policy, please reach out to the Workplace Relations Team at workplacerelations@amaq.com.au.