In the employment law space, there have been growing calls for
all Australian employees to have a minimum entitlement to take
either paid or unpaid domestic violence leave.
In September 2017, 10 days' paid domestic violence leave was
introduced for public sector employees by a
Western Australian Premier's Circular.1 This
entitlement did not extend to Western Australian employees outside
the public sector (e.g. those employees working for sole traders or
partnerships).
The debate was reinvigorated in March 2018, when, as part of the
four-yearly review of modern awards, the Fair Work Commission
introduced 5 days' unpaid domestic violence leave for all
award-covered employees.
In the wake of this decision, the Federal Government passed
legislation to extend the same 5 days' unpaid domestic violence
leave to all federal system employees.
