Under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, anyone experiencing or at risk of domestic violence will be entitled to take five days leave in any 12 month period in order to access supports. They will also be entitled to full pay during the period of leave.
The Department commissioned Women’s Aid to develop supports for employers to develop their own domestic violence workplace policies, including templates and guidance, all of which are available at www.dvatwork.ie. It is noted that this guidance is not statutory guidance nor a code of practice.
It is recognised that many situations where such leave is required it may not be possible for an employee to have supporting documentation or other supporting evidence. The Act does not require evidence to support an application for domestic violence leave. There may be very limited, exceptional circumstances in which an employer may consider it appropriate to request supporting documentation to ensure that the use of the leave is not being misused. However, it is not considered to be within the spirit of the provisions of the Act to request supporting documentation of any kind.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is required to carry out a review of the domestic violence leave provision of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. The review will take place in the coming months, with discussions currently taking place on the scoping and timing of the review.
