Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave Bill passed by Parliament

The House of Representatives has passed the Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2022 on Thursday, 27 October 2022.

First tabled in July 2022, the Bill inserts an entitlement of ten (10) days paid family and domestic violence leave into the NES. Currently, the NES only provides five (5) days of unpaid leave. You can read our previous alert on the Bill from when it was first introduced here.

The Bill, as passed, contains a number of amendments from the Senate, including a section proposed by the Jacqui Lambie Network which strengthens the privacy of employees. The amendment provides a further safeguard that sensitive personal information provided to employers as evidence of requiring FDV leave would only be used for this purpose.

The entitlement will commence for employers from 1 February 2023, and for small business employers, from 1 August 2023. Employers should take action now to review their workplace policies and set up relevant payroll practices, in preparation for the commencement date.

EMA Legal can assist employers with all queries relating to their preparation for the commencement of the paid FDV Leave entitlement.