Family and Domestic Violence Leave Review

Centre PersonnelAlan Duncan, Rebecca Cassells, Abebe Hailemariam, Astghik Mavisakalyan
Project StatusComplete (June 2021 to December 2021)

Project Summary

As part of its submission to the Fair Work Commission’s review of family and domestic violence leave provisions commencing in June 2021, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) commissioned the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, along with the Centre for Future Work, to undertake an independent economic analysis of the costs to employers of providing paid family and domestic violence leave to workers on the modern award wage. BCEC’s research considered the following issues:

  • What is the likely cost (if any) to employers of award-covered employees, including small and medium sized businesses, of providing 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave?
  • Is there a cost to employers of award-covered employees, including small and medium sized businesses, of not providing an entitlement of 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave? If the answer to this question is yes, please provide an estimate of the likely cost.
  • What are the likely benefits (if any) for award-covered employers and employees, including small and medium sized businesses, of the provision of an entitlement of 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave?

The research findings from this project were presented as expert witness testimony to the Fair Work Commission’s hearings on 1 March 2022.