Media Release
Organisation: Justice and Electoral Committee
For release: 5 May 2017
Submissions re-opened: Have your say on further changes to protect domestic violence victims in the workplace

The Domestic Violence–Victims’ Protection Bill is a member’s bill proposed by Green MP Jan Logie. The bill proposes changes to workplace laws, to better protect victims of domestic violence.

The Justice and Electoral committee invited submissions on the bill in March and April.

On 1 May, Jan Logie released a “Supplementary Order Paper” (SOP) suggesting further changes to the bill. The committee will now also consider these changes. They include:
• allowing an employee to request flexible arrangements at any time, regardless of how long they have been employed in that workplace
• letting them use an affidavit or statutory declaration as a ‘domestic violence document’ in support of their request for flexible working arrangements
• requiring an employer to deal with a request within five working days of receiving it
• allowing an employee to request urgent mediation if they believe their request has been unreasonably declined.

Domestic violence is a problem that affects all New Zealanders. If you have a comment to make on the Domestic Violence–Victims’ Protection Bill, including the new changes proposed in the SOP, send the Justice and Electoral Committee a submission.
If you already made a submission on the bill, you don’t need to re-submit it. If you have comments on the changes proposed in the SOP, you are welcome to send us another submission, which we will add to your first submission.

Tell the Justice and Electoral Committee what you think
Send your submission on the bill and / or the SOP by midnight on 19 May 2017.

For more details about the bill:
• Read the bill and the SOP
• Get more details about the bill

ENDS

© Scoop Media