What Can We Learn From New Zealand’s Paid Leave Law for Domestic Violence Victims?
This past weekend, I helped my brother and his girlfriend move. When I reluctantly accepted my brother’s request for help, I dreaded the usual things you have to consider when helping someone move: will this take a long time? (it did) do they already have everything packed and ready to go? (they didn’t) will it be hot outside during the move? (it was) will pizza and beer be provided? (there was— a small victory, but a victory, nonetheless). As you can tell, it wasn’t the ideal way for me to spend my weekend, but that’s what family is for, right? While I slaved away packing boxes and moving impossibly heavy and awkwardly-shaped furniture in the 90-degree heat of August mid-afternoons, one interesting thought that crossed my mind was how lucky my brother and his girlfriend were. They weren’t lucky because they had free labor from yours truly (though it doesn’t hurt). Not even because they moved to a bigger and better home (also doesn’t hurt). They were lucky because they were able to move under their own volition, unlike many victims of domestic violence, who are forced to move out of necessity and often very hastily to avoid further harm.
When domestic violence puts you in a state of constant fear for your own life and for the lives of your children, the only things that matter are safety and survival. But how do you find time to focus on safety when survival means needing to earn a living wage? The Members of Parliament (MP) in New Zealand have come up with a compassionate and reasonable solution to this issue by passing a bill that gives victims of domestic violence 10 days of paid leave from work to move their families to safety.
You might be wondering why a small, sovereign island country best known for Lord of Rings and people who are generally regarded as friendly and non-confrontational would need to enact such a drastic domestic violence bill. According to The Guardian, the country with a population of less than 4.7 million people (similar to that of the entire state of South Carolina) carries the burden of having one of the highest domestic violence rates in the developed world. While New Zealand is portrayed as being a place of eager smiles and quick apologies, its dark reality is police having to respond to domestic abuse-related incidences every 4 minutes. The alarming rate at which domestic violence is reported has resulted in New Zealand spending between NZ$4.1 billion-NZ$7 billion (approximately $2.8 billion-$5billion USD) each year on resources for victims. To get an idea of just how much money that is for a small nation like New Zealand, their annual domestic abuse-associated costs can reach well over half of what the United States spends ($8.3 billion annually) despite having a population that’s only 1.2% its size.
In an effort to reduce overall spending on domestic violence and to provide victims more options for safety with less red tape to cut through, New Zealand’s MPs banded together to pass the paid leave bill. With the introduction of this nearly unprecedented legislation that requires employers to give domestic violence victims up to 10 extra days of paid leave in addition to the typical holidays and sick days, New Zealand is one of only two countries to enact a nationwide law of this nature— the other being the Philippines— which also offers up to 10 days of paid leave under the same conditions. The proposal of this bill started in 2016 as a passion project of MP Jan Logie, whose work in a women’s shelter led her to a career in politics. Set to go into effect April 2019, this law will be a huge step in right the direction for civil rights in New Zealand, but it was not passed without stark opposition. It’s narrow victory margin of 63 votes to 57 was met with concerns such as the financial impact it would have on small businesses and that it might discourage companies from hiring victims of domestic violence. Those who are against the bill have one last hope for its abolition through royal assent, which is the final step before it becomes official. But seeing as how the fate of this bill lies in the hands of 37-year-old Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has a very progressive stance on violence against women and children, I imagine it’s safe to say this law will get passed without any issues.
So, what can the rest of the world learn from New Zealand— the small country with a big domestic violence problem? Take action. Homes are broken, and lives are destroyed on a daily basis around the world, and it is our responsibility— and quite frankly it is in our best interest— to protect those who are victimized. Giving people the means to pull themselves and their children out of abusive situations without the fear of losing their jobs can empower them to make lasting changes that will improve their lives at home, which in turn will increase the likelihood of them being more loyal to employers and focused at work. Nobody deserves to have to make choice between their personal safety and their livelihood. It seems to me that the positives of enforcing an extra paid leave allowance for domestic violence victims outweigh the negatives of not having one. It’ll be interesting to see the impact this law will have on New Zealand once it goes into effect— and you can guarantee the world will be paying close attention.
