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HR-POL-02 – Family and Domestic Violence Leave Policy

Posted
Updated
ByAlexander Mueller
Effective Date: September 2026 Review Date: September 2028
Document Status: PUBLISHED Original Version: 2026.1
Authorised by: Chief Executive Officer Document Owner: Alexander Mueller

WARNING! – UNCONTROLLED WHEN PRINTED! – THE ORIGINAL/LATEST/CURRENT VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT IS KEPT ON THE STAFF PORTAL OF THE INTELLIGENT TRAINING SOLUTIONS WEBSITE

01. Objective

This policy explains the paid family and domestic violence (FDV) leave entitlement available to ITS staff under the National Employment Standards (NES), and the support ITS provides to staff experiencing family or domestic violence, so they can access help and remain safely engaged in work without fear of judgement or disadvantage.

 

02. Scope

This policy applies to all ITS employees, including full-time, part-time and casual staff, regardless of length of service. Contractors and volunteers engaged other than as employees are not covered by the NES leave entitlement described in this policy, but may seek confidential support informally through ITS.

 

03. Definitions

 

  • Family and domestic violence: violent, threatening or other abusive behaviour by a close relative, a current or former intimate partner, or a member of the employee’s household, that seeks to coerce or control the employee and causes them harm or fear (Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s.106B).
  • Close relative: an employee’s spouse or de facto partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling; a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of the employee’s current spouse or de facto partner; or a person related to the employee according to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander kinship rules.
  • NES: the National Employment Standards under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

 

04. Policy Statement

ITS recognises that family and domestic violence is a workplace issue and is committed to providing a safe, supportive and confidential response to affected staff. In accordance with the NES:

  • all employees, including part-time and casual staff, are entitled to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in each 12-month period of their employment;
  • the full 10 days are available up-front from the first day of employment, and do not accumulate from year to year if unused;
  • leave may be taken as single or multiple days, or as part-days, by agreement with ITS;
  • casual employees are paid for FDV leave based on the hours they were rostered to work, or would otherwise have worked, during the leave period; full-time and part-time employees are paid at their full rate of pay for the hours they would ordinarily have worked;
  • FDV leave can be used to do things that need to be done during work hours to deal with the impact of family or domestic violence, such as attending court, accessing police services, attending appointments with a medical, legal, financial or counselling professional, or arranging for the safety of the employee or a close relative, including relocation;
  • requests for FDV leave, and any supporting evidence, are kept strictly confidential; leave will not appear as ‘family and domestic violence leave’ on payslips; and
  • staff are protected from adverse action for taking, or being eligible to take, FDV leave, as experiencing family and domestic violence is a protected attribute under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

 

05. Eligibility Criteria

All ITS employees are eligible from their first day of employment. There is no minimum period of service or minimum hours requirement, and employees do not need to exhaust other leave entitlements before accessing FDV leave.

 

06. Procedure

 

  1. Requesting leave: an employee tells their operational manager (or, if they are not comfortable doing so, the CEO/Director, Alexander Mueller) that they need to take FDV leave, providing as much notice as is reasonable in the circumstances, which may be no notice at all in an emergency.
  2. Evidence: ITS may ask for evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person that the leave was taken to deal with the impact of family or domestic violence, for example a statutory declaration, or a document issued by the police, a court, a medical practitioner, or a family violence support service. ITS will not request more evidence than is reasonably necessary.
  3. Confidential handling: requests and any supporting evidence are handled by the smallest number of people necessary, normally the employee’s operational manager and/or the CEO/Director, stored securely and separately from the employee’s general personnel file, and not disclosed to other staff without the employee’s consent, unless required by law or necessary to prevent a serious threat to life, health or safety.
  4. Payslips: pay for FDV leave will be recorded on payslips in a way that does not identify it as family and domestic violence leave (for example, as ordinary hours), consistent with the confidentiality requirements of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
  5. Support and referral: operational managers will, with the employee’s agreement, discuss flexible work arrangements (such as changes to hours, location or duties), and can refer the employee to 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or other relevant support services.
  6. Workplace safety: where an employee advises that a person who may pose a risk to their safety attends, or may attend, the workplace, ITS will work with the employee to put in place reasonable and practical safety measures.

 

07. Responsibility

 

  • CEO/Director (Alexander Mueller): first point of confidential disclosure; approves leave; ensures confidentiality and compliance with the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
  • Operational Managers: support day-to-day requests, refer sensitive disclosures to the CEO/Director, and maintain confidentiality.
  • All Staff: treat colleagues’ circumstances with discretion and respect, and are encouraged to raise concerns about a colleague’s safety with an operational manager.

 

08. Procedure Notes and Explanations

This policy reflects minimum entitlements under the NES (Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) ss.106A-106E) current as at the version date above. Where a modern award, enterprise agreement or contract of employment provides a more generous entitlement, the more generous provision applies. This policy should be read together with ITS’s Code of Conduct Policy.

 

09. Policy Approval and Publication

This policy has been approved for publication by the Company Director and Chief Executive Officer, Alexander Mueller.

Signed: Alexander Mueller     Date: 02/09/2026

 

Revision History

 

POLICY DOCUMENT REGISTER

REVISION DATE DOCUMENT VERSION DESCRIPTION OF MODIFICATION OR AMENDMENT
1 September 2026 2026.1 Original document created

 

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