The MPP for London West has reintroduced her private member's bill that would give paid leave from work to victims of sexual and domestic violence.
Peggy Sattler (NDP) reintroduced the bill on Tuesday afternoon. It passed second reading in March but died when the Wynne government prorogued the Legislature.
It would give victims up to ten days of paid leave to obtain services such as medical attention, counseling, temporary or permanent relocation, legal or law enforcement assistance, as well as the ability to participate in civil or criminal proceedings. Sattler says the bill would also require all employers to provide workplace training on domestic and sexual violence. For those who use up their paid leave, the bill would also ensure reasonable unpaid leave for victims.
Sattler says it doesn't matter who gets the credit for changes to the Employment Standards Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, just so long as the changes are made.
"I'm urging the government to bring forward these changes in its own government legislation on the Employment Standards Act," she says. "The government is currently nearing the end of a comprehensive review of Employment Standards legislation, so they can make these changes."
Sattler is confident her bill, or a similar government bill, will recieve significant support in the Legislature.
"We have public health units across the province are looking at the bill and passing resolutions endorsing it," she says. "We have the City of London, in its Roadmap to End Poverty, recognizing that paid leave for domestic violence and sexual violence is an important poverty reduction strategy.`
