Bill Would Let Domestic Violence Victims Take Sick Days
- Oct 6, 2015
- 1 min read
An act of domestic violence happens every nine seconds, and that's why some state lawmakers say we can't afford to wait any longer to pass bills protecting the victims.
The Progressive Women's Legislative Caucus says the bills have been left to rot by House and Senate leaders for around six months.
The biggest change would require employers that offer paid sick time to allow workers to use it to get assistance for domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. That includes things like medical treatment or meeting with police or prosecutors.
"What we want to do is make sure that there's not a penalty at work for making sure that they're addressing the issues that arise as a result of these tragic incidents in their lives," said Rep. Winnie Brinks, a Democrat from Grand Rapids.
Two other bills would protect unemployment benefits for victims, and ban housing discrimination against them. The Progressive Women's Caucus chose October to make another push for the bills because it is National Domestic Awareness Month.
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