Global Compliance Desk – Ireland
Ireland: New Domestic Violence Leave
Ireland recently passed the Work-Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 2023 (Act) amending the Parental Act, and Maternity Act, in order to implement the EU Directives 2019/1152 on transparent and predictable employment conditions, and EU Directive 2019/1158 on maintaining work-life balance for employees. The Act inserts a new paid domestic violence leave for employees which shall come into force on November 27, 2023.
Kindly access the link to our previous blog post regarding the Work-Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 2023.
Currently, Ireland does not provide either paid or unpaid domestic violence leave in the labor legislation.
Effective November 27, 2023, employees will be entitled to up to 5 days paid leave in a 12-month period. There is no mandatory service requirement to avail of the leave.
Reasons for Leave – Domestic Violence Leave shall be provided for assisting employees in relation to any domestic violence that they may suffer, in order to seek medical attention, assistance from professional services, counseling, or legal assistance.
Notification Requirement – Employees who are required to take domestic violence leave must notify their employer as soon as possible.
Disclosing Information – An employee will not be obliged to provide any supporting information to an employer when requesting domestic violence leave. However, the template encourages employees who may benefit from employer support to raise the issue with an appropriate person.
Takeaway – Employers must take proactive steps to comply with the amendments before the new leave comes into effect. They must review and potentially revise their policies in order to align with the upcoming changes to the existing leave requirements.
