WOMEN—EMPLOYMENT—DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Senator McEwen, at the request of Senators Pratt and Moore and pursuant to notice of motion not objected to as a formal motion, moved general business notice of motion no. 946—That the Senate—

 (a) notes that two-thirds of Australian women who have experienced domestic violence with their current partner are in paid employment;

 (b) recognises the:

  (i) significant impact that domestic violence can have on the employment of women who are subjected to it, including:

   (A) lost productivity as a result of anxiety and distraction in the workplace,

   (B) absenteeism due to sustaining physical and psychological injuries,

   (C) disrupted work histories as victims often frequently change jobs,

   (D) lower personal incomes and reduced hours of work, and

   (E) risks to personal safety in the workplace as well as to co-workers, and

  (ii) positive impact of the inclusion of domestic violence clauses in contracts of employment to ensure protections for victims, including:

   (A) additional paid leave to enable employees subjected to domestic violence to, for example, attend court hearings and medical appointments without exhausting other forms of personal leave,

   (B) access to flexible working arrangements where possible, and

   (C) assurance that employee details will be treated confidentially and disclosure will not lead to discriminatory treatment;

 (c) acknowledges the introduction of domestic violence clauses for public sector employees in both Queensland and New South Wales and congratulates organisations in the private sector that have also moved to incorporate these clauses in contracts of employment; and

 (d) urges all private companies and public sectors to include domestic violence clauses in their enterprise agreements to provide victims with important protections such as access to leave in addition to existing entitlements.

Question put and passed.