State Safe Leave Policies to Address Domestic Violence.

Abstract

Domestic violence (DV) is prevalent and imposes substantial individual, community, and societal costs. "Safe leave" policies, which provide workers with time off to address DV-related legal, medical, or safety issues, may help reduce DV's disruptive impact on work and prevent further harm. This article outlines three state policy tools that provide safe leave-paid family and medical leave, sick leave, and victim leave-and considers the tradeoffs of these approaches given the etiology and consequences of DV. As of October 2025, 27 states and the District of Columbia offer explicit leave protections for DV-related absences from work, using one or more of these three policy tools. These tools have distinct implications for survivor access, privacy, and stigma. Well-designed safe leave policies have the potential to stabilize employment and bolster survivors' well-being, allowing them protected time to seek medical and mental health care, ensure safety, secure safe housing, and pursue legal protections. Yet, 23 states provide no safe leave options. Among states with safe leave, there are opportunities to increase access and use by broadening eligibility, reducing administrative burdens, and subsidizing the costs of offering safe leave for small employers to ensure feasibility. Safe leave represents a promising policy strategy with the potential to yield substantial benefits for DV survivors and population health.