New Zealand becomes first country to introduce paid leave for domestic violence victims

'This is a win for victims, a win for employers, and a win for society,' says politician who introduced bill

Jan Logie (left), a Green MP who worked in a women’s refuge for domestic abuse survivors, has been working on the bill for seven years (Getty)

New Zealand has become the first country in the world to pass legislation allowing victims of domestic violence 10 days of paid leave from work to allow them to escape their partner’s abuse.

Jan Logie, a Green MP who worked in a women’s refuge for domestic violence survivors before becoming a politician, has been working on the bill for seven years.

MPs cheered as the Domestic Violence Victims Protection Bill passed by 63 votes to 57 – without the support of the NZ National Party, who argued that yet another cost was being passed on to small and medium-sized businesses.

Some opposition National MPs had initially backed Ms Logie’s private member’s bill, but the whole party renounced its support in the final reading, arguing it could deter employers from employing individuals they suspected of being victims of domestic violence.

New Zealand has one of the developed world’s highest rates of domestic violence. Authorities say about a third of women in the country experience physical or sexual violence during their lifetimes, and 76 per cent of incidents are not reported to police.

Police respond to a family violence incident every four minutes in the country, and family violence is estimated to cost the island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean between NZ$4.1bn and NZ$7bn a year.

Ms Logie, a member of the ruling Labour-led coalition, said: “This is a win for victims, a win for employers, and a win for society.

“This law is a world first and it will make a significant difference for people trying to escape domestic violence.”

The politician – who urged other countries to follow New Zealand’s lead – said the new legislation would give victims an opportunity to move houses or get children into new schools.

She said it would also help to protect victims from abusers who often attempted to ruin their careers or stalked them at their places of employment.

She told parliament the bill – which is expected to take effect on 1 April 2019 – was a commitment to early intervention and the prevention of domestic violence.

"We heard from advocates, court staff and survivors that the existing leave provisions just aren't enough for victims to deal with the courts, find a new house, go to counselling or support their children dealing with trauma,” she said.

"The need for improved flexible working arrangements, additional leave and protection from discrimination is well established.”

She assured employers the leave applied only to victims and people caring for child victims. While the bill entitles victims to up to 10 days' paid leave a year, experience demonstrates most victims chose not to take the 10 days.

Research shows the initial cost of introducing the policies was less than the annual wage increase in a bad year and quickly offset by returns from a lower level of staff turnover coupled with boosted productivity, according to the politician.

New Zealand’s prevalent problem of domestic violence has been attributed to a gamut of factors which include high levels of alcohol and drug use.

Domestic violence victims do not have to provide proof of their situation, and will also be eligible to fast-tracked flexible work conditions drawn up to make sure they are safe. This includes changing their work location, altering their email address and having their contact details taken down from the business’s website.

Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, told The Independent: “New Zealand’s landmark legislation granting victims of domestic abuse paid leave when fleeing abuse is leading the way in transforming how survivors are supported at work.

“We want to work with our government on what similar positive steps we can take to help survivors. The forthcoming Domestic Abuse Bill is the perfect opportunity for the government to consider making it a legal requirement for employers to provide paid leave to women who have to flee domestic abuse.

"This would make a real difference to the lives of survivors, providing them with the security and support they need to leave their abusive partner, find a new home and protect themselves and their children. From our work with survivors, we know that women often lose their job as a result of their experience of domestic abuse or having to flee their home.

"We also know that financial concerns are a major barrier to women leaving their abusive partner. By making it a legal requirement for employees to provide paid leave for domestic abuse survivors, this would send out the powerful message to survivors that their employment will be secure and they will be financially supported if they flee the abuse. We believe that this will help give more women the confidence to speak out about the abuse and seek support when taking the brave step to leave an abusive partner and rebuild their live free from abuse.”