Statutory Domestic Violence Leave to Commence on Monday 27th November 2023

From Monday, 27 November 2023, it will be a legal requirement for employers to offer up to five days of paid leave over a period of 12 months to employees affected by domestic violence. The employee is to be paid the normal pay for those days.
To implement domestic violence leave effectively, it is recommended that employers embed this support measure within a wider organisational response to domestic abuse, outlined in a workplace domestic violence policy. The policy should offer clarity and support to both employers and co-workers in responding to the needs of an employee subjected to domestic violence.

The purpose of domestic violence leave is to enable the employee to, for example, seek medical attention or legal assistance, obtain counselling or relocate, without impacting on their employment and income. Any employee, including part-time and fixed-term employees can seek to avail of domestic violence leave. The entitlement also extends to relevant persons, meaning employees may use the leave to aid a relevant person in obtaining support. A relevant person may include a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the employee, a person with whom the employee is in an intimate relationship, a child of the employee who has not attained full age, or a person who, in relation to the employee, is a dependent person.

If an employee has taken domestic violence leave, they must, as soon as reasonably practicable, send a notice to their employer confirming they have taken this leave and specifying the dates on which it was taken. The employee will not be required to provide any evidence to their employer.

If your workplace requires help and support with HR compliance and implementation, please contact us at HR Buddy or see a list of our HR services for businesses.