Anof the Government’s Paid Family and Domestic Violence (FDV) leave has found while the entitlement is “operating as intended”, there has been “low uptake” of it.
FDV leave entitles all employees experiencing family and domestic violence to 10 days of paid leave each year.
The review found that of those who had accessed the leave, 91% surveyed said it helped them maintain their income, and 89% said it helped them retain their employment.
Paid family and domestic violence leave
A 2021-22 survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 1 in 4 women in Australia have experiencedby an intimate partner. Previous laws allowed five days of unpaid domestic and family violence leave per year.
In 2022, the Federal Government introduced new legislation granting all workers—full-time, part-time, and casual—10 days of paid leave.
The change took effect for most employees in February 2023 and for small businesses in August of the same year.
Review
The review, conducted by Flinders University, included 12 findings and five recommendations to improve the operation and impact of FDV leave.
Overall, it found that the entitlement was “delivering significant benefits to those accessing it”. Many respondents reported using the leave to arrange their own (41%) or their children’s (43%) safety.
Your contribution ensures The Daily Aus can continue doing the work you love.
I want to give $10 monthly to help TDA keep doing the news.
Your details:
Many respondents said the leave allowed them to “complete practical tasks” such as seeking legal protection or moving house, “during work hours without the perpetrator knowing”.
Low uptake
While the review found the entitlement is operating as intended, it also highlighted uptake of FDV leave remains “low”.
It found awareness of the leave was ‘relatively low’ among employers (58%) and even lower among victim-survivors (39%).
According to the report, “lack of awareness was identified as a significant barrier to both providing and accessing the leave”.
Industry response
Annabelle Daniel, CEO of, said the leave is “still fairly new” and that awareness is still growing.
Daniel said: “Governments can do more to raise awareness around the availability of this workplace entitlement through wide-ranging community education campaigns in regular, and on social media.”
She also emphasised the role of employers to create a workplace culture, “where employees can safely raise their experiences… and request this leave if necessary”.
