PILBARA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVOCATE CRITICISES GOV ON PAID DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEAVE

Pilbara Community Legal Service staff at a Mental Health Week BBQ in 2022. Photo Credit: Pilbara Community Legal Service Facebook Page.

A leading domestic violence support worker in the Pilbara has criticised the government's new paid domestic violence leave as not going far enough. 

Since the start of February, domestic violence victims employed by large and medium-sized businesses have had access to ten days of paid leave.

The scheme will be extended to employees of small businesses from August. 

Pilbara Community Legal Service Case Worker Sara Makeham said the paid leave doesn’t recognise the extent to which domestic abuse impacts victims. 

‘‘I don’t think it goes far enough in recognising the extent of domestic abuse,’’ she said.

‘‘Domestic violence and family abuse doesn’t occur in affecting one aspect of a person’s life, it impacts every aspect of their life from their mental and physical well-being to their economical and financial stability, their ability to engage in the workplace, and their ability to engage as an independent individual.’’