1. Introduction

1.1 The National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) is a nonpolitically aligned feminist organisation committed to analysing the potentially differential impacts of policies and their outcomes for men and women and whether the consequences of policies, intended or unintended, adversely affect women.

1.2 This submission is also endorsed by the Equality Rights Alliance, the South Australian Working Women’s Centre, BPW Australia, the Women’s Electoral Lobby, and the Work + Family Policy Roundtable.

1.3 NFAW makes this submission in response to the Ai Group’s submission of 19 September 2016 in reply to an Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) claim for a family and domestic violence leave clause to be introduced into modern awards. The clause would provide the following key entitlements:

X.2.1 An employee, including a casual employee, experiencing family and domestic violence is entitled to 10 days per year of paid family and domestic violence leave for the purpose of:

(a) attending legal proceedings, counselling, appointments with a medical or legal practitioner;

(b) relocation or making other safety arrangements; or

(c) other activities associated with the experience of family and domestic violence.

X.2.2 Upon exhaustion of the leave entitlements in clauses X.2.1, employees will be entitled to up to 2 days unpaid family and domestic violence leave on each occasion.

READ FULL PAPER