PROGRESS

New Zealand Gives Domestic-Violence Victims Paid Leave

The new law grants victims 10 days off work to move out of their homes and protect their children.

New Zealand passed legislation Wednesday that gives victims of domestic violence 10 days paid leave from work to figure out their living situation. The bill passed 63-57. The country has high rates of family violence, with one case reported to police every four minutes. The bill was spearheaded by parliament member Jan Logie. “Part of this initiative is getting a whole-of-society response. We don’t just leave it to police but realize we all have a role in helping victims. It is also about changing the cultural norms and saying ‘we all have a stake in this and it is not OK,’” she said. Opponents contended that the days off would be expensive for small business and discourage companies from hiring people they believe to be domestic-violence victims. The bill will go into effect in April. It says that anyone who experiences domestic violence will get 10 days off and will have better access to other safety precautions such as changing their work location and email address.