ReGen StrategicDomestic Violence Leave Policy
Overview
ReGen Strategic and its associated entities (the Company) recognises that employees sometimes face situations of violence or abuse in their personal life that may affect their attendance or performance at work. For this reason, the Company is committed to providing support to staff that experience family violence. However, this Policy does not form part of any person’s contract with the Company or create any enforceable rights or entitlements for them.
Definition of Family Violence
The Company accepts the definition of family violence as including physical, sexual, financial, verbal or emotional abuse by a family member.
General measures
Proof of family violence may be required and can be in the form of a document issued by the police, a court, a doctor, district nurse, maternal and health care nurse, a Family Violence Support Service or lawyer. Alternatively, a signed statutory declaration can be provided as proof.
All personal information concerning family violence will be kept confidential in line with the Company’s policy and relevant legislation. No information will be kept on an employee’s personnel file without their express written permission.
No adverse action will be taken against an employee if their attendance or performance at work suffers as a result of being a victim of family violence.
An employee experiencing family violence may raise the issue with their immediate supervisor or one of the Company’s directors.
Leave
An employee experiencing family violence will have access to 10 days per year of paid special leave for medical appointments, legal proceedings and other activities related to family violence. This leave will be in addition to existing leave entitlements and may be taken as consecutive or single days or as a fraction of a day and can be taken without prior approval. The leave does not accumulate from year to year.
An employee who supports a person experiencing family violence may take carer’s leave to accompany them to court, to hospital, to mind children or provide support for other related pressing matters.
Individual Support
In order to provide support to an employee experiencing family violence and to provide a safe work environment to all employees, the employer will approve any reasonable request from an employee experiencing family violence for:
- changes to their span of hours or pattern or hours and/or shift patterns
- job redesign or changes to duties
- relocation to suitable employment within the organisation
- a change to their telephone number or email address to avoid harassing contact, and
- any other appropriate measure including those available under existing provisions for family friendly and flexible work arrangements.
An employee experiencing family violence will be offered a referral to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and/or other local resources. The EAP shall include professionals trained specifically in family violence.