BILL NUMBER: S6708

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring employers to
provide up to ten additional days of unpaid leave for absences due to
domestic violence, a family offense, sexual offense, stalking or human
trafficking

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of the legislation is to provide additional sick leave for
victims of domestic violence and family offenses.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Amends the labor law to add a new subdivision, which provides an addi-
tional ten days of unpaid sick leave to an employee upon request.

 
              

JUSTIFICATION:

In the United States, intimate partners committed approximately 552,000
violent crimes against women, including 35,690 rapes or sexual assaults,
30,820 robberies, 70,550 aggravated assaults, and 406,530 simple
assaults. Notwithstanding the prevalence of domestic violence across
demographic categories, it is overwhelmingly a crime perpetrated against
women.  According to Stand for Families free of violence, victims have
lost an estimated, 8 million in paid work days due to domestic violence.
As well as, losing approximately 137 hours of work to due to the
violence subjected to seek medical attention; to seek restraining
orders; or to relocate to a safe place where an abuser cannot find for
further victimize them. In addition, victims are prevented from getting
to work when an abuser disables or takes the car, sabotages childcare
arrangements, cancels service to or steals a cell phone, or leaves the
victim without cash to use public transportation. While state laws
providing employment rights for victims of domestic and sexual violence
are not uniform, there is a clear trend toward awarding leave for
victims of domestic violence.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Effective January 1, 2022