Casual workers added to paid domestic violence leave scheme

At least 2.4 million more workers will soon be eligible for an extra two weeks of leave after a subtle but significant change.

More than 11 million people will soon be eligible for paid domestic violence leave after casual workers were added to the proposed plan.

The Albanese government will introduce legislation to parliament this week that will add 10 days of leave to the national employment standards for people escaping violent situations.

The bill will be introduced into parliament on Thursday as one of Labor’s 18 pieces of priority legislation.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke confirmed the new laws would extend to Australia’s approximately 2.4 million casual workers.

“The principle is if someone is wanting to get out, we don’t want ‘do you lose your job or are you going to lose money?’ to be on the list of difficulties that that individual is facing,” Mr Burke told ABC radio.

“The reality is, disproportionately people in casual work are in those situations.

“If you’re facing family and domestic violence, you are more likely be in insecure work.”

Safety advocates raised concerns about people in insecure work missing out on the benefits if they needed to escape violence.

The scheme is set to begin on February 1 next year for most employees, before being fully operational by August 2023.

Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has confirmed changes to the government’s paid domestic violence leave scheme. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Employers will bear the cost of the 10 days’ leave, but small businesses will get six months to adjust.

Asked about the cost to employers, Mr Burke said many larger businesses including Woolworths and the Commonwealth Bank already had family and domestic violence leave schemes.

“We haven’t had instances of the entitlement being abused. There are some costs. The costs are minimal,” he said.

“But when you think of what are the alternative costs, the alternative cost is somebody has to choose between their wages and their safety.”

Mr Burke said the government anticipated that fewer than 40,000 women and fewer than 4000 men would access the scheme.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline on 13 11 14, or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.

Originally published as Casual workers added to paid domestic violence leave scheme