A new provincial law aims to help victims of domestic violence by giving them time off work to get help.
BY NICK MARTIN Posted 06/1/2016 5:50PM Winnipeg Free Press
But the amendments to the Employment Standards Act so far lack the regulations necessary to tell both employees and employers how the legislation will work.
"Starting today, victims of domestic violence face fewer barriers," MLA Tom Lindsey (NDP-Flin Flon) told the legislature.
The legislation, passed by the NDP before the April 19 election and scheduled to take effect June 1, is the first of its kind in Canada, Lindsey said.
Employees are entitled to 10 days of leave, five of them paid, he said. "Employers have to keep this leave confidential," Lindsey said.
But Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen couldn't say Wednesday when and how regulations will be developed.
"We have a lot of work to do," said Cullen, who could not outline what steps the government will take to inform both employees and employers. "We look forward to working with unions and the business community."
And, said Cullen, "It's one of those pieces of legislation we hope will not be used."