States pass laws for “domestic violence leave”

Washington has just joined a growing list of states that require employers to give time off to victims of domestic violence.
The law went into effect in Washington state on April 1. It allows victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking to take “reasonable leave,” in order to deal with legal issues, medical care and counseling. The leave can be paid or unpaid, and employers can run paid time off concurrently with the leave.
Also, employees must offer leave to family members of victims to help them deal with those issues. (More info from the Washington state government is available here.)
This is a growing trend in employment law, so if you aren’t covered in your state, you might be soon. A growing number of states have similar laws on the books, including Florida, Kansas and Oregon, which passed legislation last year.
On the federal side, a bill to give domestic abuse victims 30 days of leave has been introduced in the Senate, and is in the early stages of the legislative process. We’ll keep you posted.