On 27 November Section 7 of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 came into effect. The section allows for victims of domestic violence/abuse, or those supporting a victim of domestic violence/abuse, to take up to five paid days off every twelve months.
The legislation comes as a concerted effort to protect victims of domestic violence from financial and employment ramifications that come from having to deal with domestic abuse. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland, Roderic O’Gorman, stated, “No one experiencing domestic violence should have to risk poverty or unemployment in order to seek support. From today, all employees will be entitled to five days of leave on full pay so that they can access the support they may need. “While the legislation is applicable to anyone of any gender experiencing domestic abuse the legislation came about specifically as a protection for women.? Are we sure of that statement? While abuse can happen to men or within same-sex relationships it is most common for women, with at least one in four women in Ireland having experienced or currently experiencing domestic abuse. The legislation was drafted with the support of Women’s Aid. This legislation comes after Women’s Aid noted a 16% increase from 2021 to 2022 of calls to their hotline, making it the highest year on record.
The new legislation mandates employers facilitate the time off in the most unobtrusive and compassionate way possible and places no requirement on employees to provide further notice. A dedicated website with guidance for employers has been made available and Women’s Aid is scheduled to host a series of webinars designed to inform employers of their obligations and requirements under the law. There will be a total of six seminars spanning from November 2023 to March 2024. Each seminar will cover how domestic violence/abuse intersects with the workplace, raising awareness of the types and impacts of domestic abuse, a broad overview of the legislation itself, and an introduction to some of the resources available to employers (so they can implement the legislation). Use of the available resources, including the seminars, has been highly encouraged by Minster O’Gorman, who stated that “Employers have a crucial role to play. I would encourage them to use the supports which have been developed to create a safe space for employees experiencing domestic violence.”
The bringing into force of this legislation makes Ireland one of the first countries in Europe to enact this type of protection for domestic abuse/violence victims. With advocates stating that a lack of job security can often play into a victim’s decision to stay with their abuser, this legislation is an important step in the right direction and may be the first of many similar pieces of legislation across the continent.
Click here for Section 7 of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2023/act/8/section/7 Click here for employer aid website https://dvatwork.ie/