It’s very easy, if you’ve never experienced an abusive relationship, to question why a survivor didn’t leave the situation sooner. If you have lived through this before, though, you’ll understand it completely – not only is it incredibly difficult to get yourself out, it can also be dangerous.
It’s a growing problem in Alberta – according to Andrea Silverstone with Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society, the number of domestic violence calls responded to by Calgary Police Services has increased by more than 10 per cent in the past year alone.
While we depend on outside organizations like Sagesse to tackle the burden of helping the Albertans who find themselves trapped in these situations, other nations – and even other provinces – are recognizing the value of providing financial support to help victims escape these nightmarish circumstances.
On July 25, New Zealand passed a bill that will require employers to provide up to 10 days paid leave – separate from annual holiday or sick leave – to assist domestic violence survivors as they remove themselves from an abusive situation. This practical measure offers them the chance to find a new home, attend court hearings and take additional, necessary measures to protect themselves and their children without sacrificing a paycheque.
Similar legislation currently exists in other Canadian provinces. Paid domestic violence leave was adopted in Manitoba in 2016 and in Ontario in 2017. Saskatchewan and Alberta followed suit just months later; however, these provinces introduced legislation that does not require employers to pay wages or benefits at any point during the leave.
This makes taking that leave significantly less accessible for someone struggling desperately for financial independence – and doesn’t really help employers, either.
According to the Globe and Mail, the Canadian Labour Congress and the University of Western Ontario’s Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children released a national study in 2014 which revealed “82 per cent of respondents who had experienced domestic violence said it hurt their job performance.”
“Nearly 40 per cent said it made them late or miss work, with 8.5 per cent saying it got them fired,” the article stated. “And aftershocks spread through the workplace – nearly 30 per cent of co-workers reported that their work performance suffered due to the stress they were feeling for their victimized colleagues.”
With a paid leave, survivors have more freedom to take control of the situation in a safe, protected way – and employers are able to provide much-needed support to their staff, improving productivity and retaining valuable members of their team.
While it’s certainly nice for Albertan survivors of domestic abuse to know they’ll have a job to come back to once they’re out of a violent situation, an unpaid leave doesn’t offer much help to someone who can’t afford to take the time off work.
- reprinted from Airdrie City View, a Great West newspaper. Written by Jessi Gowan.
