N.S. expands paid leave for domestic violence to 5 days

A woman sits on the floor looking down in this file photo.

The Nova Scotia government is expanding the amount of paid leave an employee who experienced domestic violence from three days to five days.

Employees with at least three months of service are eligible for up to 16 continuous weeks of domestic violence leave, according to a news release from the government. Employees can also take 10 continuous or intermittent days, which will include five paid days starting April 1.

“Domestic violence affects too many Nova Scotians,” said Nolan Young, minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration, in the release. “By extending paid leave, we are helping employees seek the support they need without the added concern of lost income.”

The release says more than 10,000 Nova Scotians accessed domestic violence services in the last year. Domestic violence is estimated to cost the Canadian economy more than $7 billion annually due to health-care costs and lost productivity.

Last September the Nova Scotia government declared domestic violence an epidemic.

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