'We are helping employees seek the support they need without the added concern of lost income'
Nova Scotia is increasing paid domestic violence leave from three to five days, effective April 1.
The change aims to give employees more time to access essential medical, legal and social support services, according to the provincial government.
“Domestic violence affects too many Nova Scotians,” says Nolan Young, minister of labour, skills and immigration. “By extending paid leave, we are helping employees seek the support they need without the added concern of lost income.”
Here’s how employers can confront the issue of domestic violence, according to one expert.
Rules around domestic violence leave
Nova Scotia’s domestic violence leave is available to any employee who is experiencing domestic violence or whose child – under the age of 18 – is experiencing domestic violence, according to the government.
The employee may take up to 10 intermittent or consecutive days per calendar year. The employee may also take up to 16 consecutive weeks per calendar year.
To qualify for domestic violence leave, the employee must have worked with the employer for at least three months.
The leave applies to situations of abuse involving the following relationships:
An employee who is abused by:
- their current or former intimate partner
- their child
- a person under 18 years who lives with them
- an adult who lives with them and is related to them by blood, marriage, adoption or foster care
An employee whose child (under 18) who is abused by:
- the child’s current or former intimate partner
- a person who lives with the child
Domestic violence leave can be used by an employee to seek medical attention for themselves or their child; obtain services for themselves or their child from a victim services organization, psychological or other professional counselling (or certain culturally-specific services); relocate temporarily or permanently; or seek legal or law enforcement assistance, according to the provincial government.
“Increasing paid domestic violence leave from three to five days is a powerful step that will provide Nova Scotian workers fleeing violence with more time to safely seek out supports and community resources while protecting their income,” says Jennifer Murray, Regional Director, Unifor Atlantic.
Epidemic: intimate partner violence
The Nova Scotia government made the change after consultations with community partners, including unions, employers and advocacy groups. The change also aligns with the 2024 bill declaring intimate partner violence an epidemic, as well as recommendations from the Mass Casualty Commission, the Desmond Fatality Inquiry and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, according to the government.
In the past year, more than 10,000 Nova Scotians accessed domestic violence services through public and community-based programs.
Previously, Statistics Canada (StatCan) noted that rates for police-reported family violence (+3 per cent) and intimate partner violence (+1 per cent) increased in 2023. There were 139,020 victims of family violence and 123,319 victims (aged 12 years and older) of intimate partner violence that came to the attention of police – a rate of 350 victims of family violence and 354 victims of intimate partner violence per 100,000 population.
An estimated one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, according to Nova Scotia.
The cost of domestic violence to the Canadian economy is estimated to be more than $7 billion annually, including lost productivity and healthcare costs, according to the Nova Scotia government.
Several other provincial and territorial governments – including Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Yukon – have also provided leave credits for victims of interpersonal violence.
Gender-Based Violence Prevention Funding Act
The Nova Scotia New Democratic Party (NSNDP), meanwhile, has pushed for a debate on the Gender-Based Violence Prevention Funding Act, which, the party says, will provide stable, core funding for gender-based violence prevention.
“Seven lives have been lost to intimate partner violence in a matter of months. The time for piecemeal solutions is over,” says NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender. “The organizations working on the front lines to support survivors and prevent future violence need stable, long-term funding. This is an epidemic, and it requires an epidemic-level response.”
The act would legislate a recommendation from the Mass Casualty Commission and ensure organizations receive continuous core funding rather than relying on inconsistent short-term grants, says the NSNDP.
