Saskatchewan announces paid job leave for survivors of interpersonal violence
The Saskatchewan government has amended a law to allow survivors of domestic or sexual violence five paid days of leave from work and five unpaid days. Previously, employees in Saskatchewan could take a 10-day, unpaid leave.
The Saskatchewan Employment (Paid Interpersonal Violence and Sexual Violence Leave) Amendment Act, 2019 will come into effect upon Royal Assent, which is expected in the next few days.
To be eligible, an employee, employee’s child or a person for whom an employee is a caregiver must be the victim of interpersonal or sexual violence and the employee requires time off work to:
- Seek medical attention;
- Obtain services from a victims’ services organization;
- Obtain psychological or other professional services;
- Relocate, either temporarily or permanently; or
- Seek legal or law enforcement assistance and attend court appearances.
Employees must have worked for an employer for a minimum of 13 weeks and may be required to provide evidence of the services being received if asked to qualify for the leave. Employers are required to keep the information it receives confidential.
The amendment is intended to help support lower income victims that may be less inclined to take time away from work even in a life-threatening situation due to concerns of lost wages. Saskatchewan has some of the highest rates of domestic and sexual violence in Canada.
Next Steps:
- RCC will continue to monitor the implementation of this amendment and will be available to seek any clarification that may be required by members.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact: John Graham, Director, Government Relations (Prairie Region) at 204-926-8624 or jgraham@retailcouncil.org.
