How Australia’s paid family and domestic violence leave entitlement is being implemented and what more can be done to create safe, supportive workplaces for victim-survivors will be explored at an event hosted by The University of Western Australia this month.
Researchers from The University of Western Australia, Curtin University and the University of Technology Sydney will present the symposium Putting the Law into Practice: The Effectiveness of Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave in Australia.
Funded through the Women’s Grants for a Stronger Future 2024–25 by the WA Department of Communities, the research examined how effectively the 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave introduced under the Fair Work Act in 2023 is supporting women’s safety and economic independence.
Dr Renata Casado, from UWA Business School, said family and domestic violence affected not only people’s safety, but their productivity, career and ability to maintain employment.
“Recognising family and domestic violence as a workplace issue means acknowledging that employers play a crucial role in prevention, support and recovery,” Dr Casado said.
“Paid leave is an important step forward, but our findings show that, for varied reasons, uptake remains very low.”
The event will bring together academics, policymakers, unions, employers and community organisations to discuss how workplaces can take collective responsibility in addressing family and domestic violence as a workplace issue.
The symposium will feature a panel discussion with key stakeholders and an online keynote address by Dr Elena Gerasimova, labour law and standards specialist at the International Labour Organization, Asia-Pacific Region.
The event will be held as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, reinforcing the importance of collaborative action to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in all spheres of society.
The free event is on Thursday 27 November from 2pm to 5pm at UWA Business School and registration is required here.