Union seeks extra leave for victims of domestic violence
Union seeks extra leave for victims of domestic violence
Ewin Hannan
From: The Australian
April 16, 2010 12:00AM
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/union-seeks-extra-leave-for-victims-of-domestic-violence/story-e6frg8zx-1225854291924
IN an Australian first, a union will seek to have a clause included in a workplace agreement that gives victims of domestic violence an extra 20 days' paid leave a year.
The Community and Public Sector Union is serving the claim on the University of NSW, arguing that employers need to be more involved in the campaign against domestic violence.
Steve Turner, assistant secretary of the union's NSW branch, said domestic violence should not be an issue confined to the home.
He said research showed paid employment was a key pathway to leaving a violent relationship, "but too often women find themselves fired or having to resign because of the impact domestic violence has on their work".
The claim calls for records relating to domestic violence to be kept confidential, training for human resources staff, and an extra 20 days' leave a year for victims of domestic violence.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said employers would be happy to back the support measures proposed by the union.
But David Gregory, the chamber's workplace policy director, questioned the need to provide a new leave entitlement.
"That would be something the parties would have to work through and it might be something that's achievable in a university environment like this one," he said. "Whether that's going to be something that could be legitimately considered by a small business in a very different environment is another issue."