Paid family and domestic violence leave

Published 1 August 2023

Employees of small business employers can now access 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period.

Employees of non-small business employers could access the leave from 1 February 2023.

On this page:

• Support services
• What you need to know about the leave
• Access our updated information and resources
• New dedicated website for small business
• Podcast: Small Business, Big Impact
• Related information

What you need to know about the leave

• 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave is now available to employees of small business employers.
• Full-time, part-time and casual employees can take 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period (it isn't pro-rated for part-time or casual employees).
• All 10 days are available upfront - an employee doesn't accrue it.
• The leave doesn't accumulate from year to year if it's not used.
• It's a separate paid leave entitlement, like paid annual leave or paid sick and carer's leave.
• Employers must not include certain information on an employee's pay slip about taking paid family and domestic violence leave.
• This leave entitlement replaces the previous 5 days of unpaid family and domestic violence leave under the National Employment Standards (NES).

Access our updated information and resources

We’ve updated our website and key resources to support small business employers and employees understand the new entitlement. These include:

• our updated Family and domestic violence leave section
• our Small business employer guide to family and domestic violence to help employers manage family and domestic violence in the workplace
• new Family and domestic violence leave – case studies
• our Difficult conversations in the workplace online courses, with guidance for discussing these sensitive issues in the workplace
• professionally translated information in our Language help section

Go to our Family and domestic violence leave section now.

New dedicated website for small business

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations engaged Transitioning Well to develop the website 10dayspaidfdvleave.com.au in consultation with small business and family and domestic violence sector representatives.

The website is a one-stop-shop for small businesses to help them understand their obligations in relation to the new leave entitlement.

Podcast: Small Business, Big Impact

Small Business, Big Impact is a new podcast for small businesses about how to support employees experiencing family and domestic violence.

Across 10 short episodes, the podcast will help:

• guide small business employers on their workplace responsibilities
• employers recognise the red flags of family and domestic violence.

The podcast is available on:

• Spotify Small Business, Big Impact | Podcast on Spotify
• Apple Podcasts Small Business, Big Impact: Ep1: What is family & domestic violence? on Apple Podcasts.

Related information

• Access our updated Family and domestic violence leave section.
• Listen to the new small business employer podcast: Small Business, Big Impact.
• Read The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, The Hon Justine Elliot MP and The Hon Tony Burke MP joint media release at All workers now entitled to family and domestic violence leave.
• 1800RESPECT is the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.