We are happy that the issue of family violence is being addressed in the Canada Labour Code in the form of a new leave for survivors of family violence. The focus of our recommendations for this proposed section is the need for the leave to be paid and the need to take the leave in less than one-day periods.
Survivors of family violence require stable, ongoing paid employment to enable them to leave violent relationships and seek safety. Unpaid leave defeats the purpose of family violence leave, which should be to give a survivor the financial security needed to achieve safety and stability. Many survivors won't be able to afford to take the leave if it is unpaid.
The bill also allows the employer the discretion to require that the leave be no less than one day's duration. We recommend that survivors be given the flexibility to take the leave in periods of less than one day. Many survivors typically require an hour or two at a time to address a number of basic tasks that they need to carry out to ensure their safety, tasks that the CLC referred to, such as meeting with a lawyer or opening a bank account that is separate from their abuser's.
We would also like to comment on the new leave of five unpaid days for traditional aboriginal practices. We are very concerned about leaving the highly contentious issue of determining indigenous status in the hands of employers. We recommend that the committee consult with indigenous organizations on the requirement to provide documentation proving aboriginal identity, and also on the range of indigenous practices covered by the proposed section.
Thank you. We look forward to questions.