The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) is pleased to announce the release of a new resource titled The Need for Paid Safe Leave and Model Legislative Language. This document is the first product of the Safe Leave Working Group, in which NRCDV actively participates. It serves as a vital tool for policymakers, advocates, and stakeholders, highlighting the importance of paid safe leave. The resource includes model policy language that can be directly implemented or adapted to suit various contexts
The Safe Leave Working Group comprises state, national, and tribal experts, as well as advocates from diverse policy areas. The group's mission is to promote paid, protected leave from work as a critical measure for ensuring the safety, autonomy, and economic security of survivors of gender-based violence, harassment, family and domestic violence, and sexual violence. The working group is co-chaired by the Center for American Progress and Futures Without Violence.
"Paid safe leave is not just a lifeline for survivors of sexual and domestic violence—it's a vital step toward justice, healing, and reclaiming the independence and dignity that every person deserves. This essential paid time off allows survivors to attend needed appointments, search for safe housing, and safety plan with advocates, which are all critical elements of building a life free from violence for themselves and their children,” says Pamela Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer at NRCDV.
“Choosing to take time off to seek assistance or identify new housing arrangements can be completely taken off the table if it means a survivor could lose some or all of their income. Safe leave policies are one way that employers can help to prevent families from experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence,” says Shenna Morris, Vice President of Policy and Systems Change at NRCDV.
For additional information, please contact Shenna Morris (she/her) at smorris@nrcdv.org.
A PDF version of this statement is available here.
View The Need for Paid Safe Leave & Model Legislative Language here.
