More states provide paid ‘Safe Leave’ for domestic violence survivors

Parental leave isn’t the only kind of time off that can keep a woman safe and employed. “Safe leave” lets workers take time off to deal with domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking: going to court, seeing a doctor or counselor, or moving somewhere safer.

The need is real. Federal data show 9 million women reported intimate partner violence in a single year, and in one study more than half of survivors lost at least one job because of the abuse.

By the Center for American Progress’s count, 15 states plus D.C. let workers use their paid sick time as safe leave: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

Six states (Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey and Oregon) also cover safe leave through their paid family and medical leave programs. In Maine, Nevada, and Illinois, general paid time off laws can be used for any reason, including violence.

An Example: Colorado

Like paid family and parental leave for women, every state is different. For example, in Colorado, employees who are victims or whose family members are victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment also can use paid sick leave for any of the following reasons:

• to seek related medical attention for themselves or their family members to recover from a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition;
• to obtain related services from a victim services organization;
• to obtain related mental health or other counseling;
• to seek relocation for related reasons; or to seek related legal services, including preparation for or participation in civil or criminal proceedings.

Colorado state workers can also access extended leave related to domestic violence through the state's paid family and medical leave program.

Who’s Covered?

Most of these laws reach nearly all private-sector workers, and some cover public employees too. Most let you take leave when a family member is the victim, but California and Connecticut limit it to the worker’s own experience, and Massachusetts and Oregon cover only the worker or their child.

At least 17 states plus D.C. offer unpaid, job-protected leave for survivors.

Virginia is the newest addition. Its new law lets survivors use up to four weeks of their paid leave for court dates, medical and mental health care, and relocation. About 3.2 million private-sector workers will be eligible.

Related WRDI Reporting

Paid leave in the states: Who's covered, and who's left out? (Oct 26)

Resources

Bipartisan Policy Center: State Paid Family Leave Laws Across the U.S. - State Job-Protected Family and Medical Leave Laws
NCSL: State Family and Medical Leave Laws - State-by-state rules, including leave for state employees
KFF: Paid Family and Sick Leave in the U.S. - Who has access and who doesn’t
Center for American Progress: The State of Safe Leave - Which states offer leave for survivors of violence
A Better Balance - Free legal help line at 1-833-NEED-ABB (1-833-633-3222)
National Partnership for Women & Families - Research and state paid leave tracking