Activity details
Legislating the 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave entitlement. Support for the implementation of this entitlement includes:
- Providing $3.4 million over 4 years for the Small Business Assistance package to support small businesses implementing paid family and domestic violence leave.
- Conducting a statutory review of the operation of the 10 days’ paid family and domestic violence leave entitlement, to commence as soon as practicable from 1 February 2024.
This activity is part of a broader activity to improve women’s economic security through new legislation and a greater understanding of gender equality performance in Australian workplaces.
Implementation progress update
The Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Act 2022, providing employees, including casuals, with 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave per year (the entitlement) was passed by Parliament on 31 October 2022.
The entitlement commenced for employees in a staggered manner across 2023 and 2024, and now applies as a minimum standard for all Australian employees.
To support the implementation of this entitlement, the Australian Government provided $3.4 million over 4 years in the October 2022 Budget. This funding delivered a range of tailored guidance for small businesses, including:
- The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' stand-alone website to help small business employers to understand and administer the entitlement. For more information see Family & Domestic Violence 10 Days Paid Leave.
- New and updated resources for small businesses available through the Fair Work Ombudsman website and the promotion of the entitlement through paid communications campaigns. This included content translated into multiple languages.
To evaluate the operation and impact of the entitlement, an independent statutory review was led by Flinders University. Flinders University found the legislation is operating as intended and is life changing for those who access it. While the review heard broad support from stakeholders, it also found that further work is needed to increase awareness and understanding of the leave entitlement. The Government Response to the review was published in February 2025. The Government Response indicated its commitment to ongoing work to further embed this entitlement in workplaces. For more information see Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave Review - Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
More information
- Learn about the National Plan to End Violence against women and children 2022-2032.
- Read the First Action Plan 2023-2027.
- Browse the First Action Plan 2023-2027 Activities Addendum update.