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Academic and Professional Staff 2014 Contact
 
Monash University

46. FAMILY VIOLENCE

46.1 The University recognises that both female and male staff members sometimes experience situations of violence or abuse in their personal life constituting family violence that may affect their attendance or performance at work.

The University accepts the definition of family violence as provided by the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) and recognises that it includes physical, sexual, financial, verbal or emotional abuse by a family/household member.

46.2 The University may offer staff members experiencing family violence a broad range of support.  This includes where appropriate:

  • access to accrued sick leave for absences due to family violence experienced by the staff member;

  • approval of paid family violence leave at the discretion of the Dean (or equivalent) for absences due to family violence experienced by the staff member;

  • flexible working arrangements, including changes to working times consistent with the needs of the work unit; and

  • changing work location, telephone number or email address.

Where a staff member requests such support, the staff member may elect to submit that request to either his/her supervisor or the University’s designated family violence contact officer(s).  Approval of such request will be subject to endorsement by the Executive Director, Monash HR (or his/her nominated delegate), and the quantum of any paid family violence leave will be determined by the situation of the individual staff member through consultation between the staff member and either his/her supervisor or the University’s designated family violence contact officer(s).

46.3 For the purposes of endorsing the approval of a request for support from a staff member experiencing family violence, the Executive Director, Monash HR (or his/her nominated delegate) may require the provision of relevant documentary evidence satisfactory to the University of family violence.  This may include a document issued by police, a court, a medical practitioner, a district or maternal and child health care nurse, a family violence support service, or a lawyer or a statutory declaration of the staff member.