The Northwest Territories is considering adding domestic violence leave legislation to its Employment Standards Act.
“We have not yet determined what a potential domestic violence leave provision might include,” says Cherish Winsor, senior communications advisor at the government of the Northwest Territories.
“The federal government’s plans to introduce changes to leave provisions under the Canada Labour Code and the ongoing review of the Employment Standards Act present an opportunity to explore the introduction of domestic violence leave in the NWT. There are various approaches undertaken in other jurisdictions with respect to this type of leave and those are being considered.”
Read: What do Canadian provinces offer around domestic violence leave?
Winsor notes the loss of a job or wages can act as a significant barrier to leaving an abusive relationship, which can negatively affect an individual’s safety and security. “Domestic violence can have a negative impact on employers, as it often follows an employee to the workplace and can result in decreased job performance and productivity, lateness, absenteeism and stress on co-workers, as they take up the employee’s duties,” she says.
Across Canada, data suggests the direct and indirect impact of domestic violence results in a loss of approximately $79 million annually to employers, adds Winsor.
Other provinces that allow for domestic violence leave include Saskatchewan (as of December 2017), Ontario and Alberta (both as of January 2018) and New Brunswick (as of September 2018). Manitoba was the first province to legislate leave for domestic violence victims, passing legislation on June 1, 2016.
Other provinces are watching as new provisions take effect to determine if they’ll follow suit.
Read: Ontario labour law amendments add separate leave for domestic, sexual violence