Palm Beach State College Board Policy

Title: Domestic Violence Leave

Policy Number: 6Hx-18-5.91

Legal Authority: 741.313 FS, 1001.64 FS

Date Adopted/Amended: Adopted 5/12/2009

Full-time and part-time employees may request up to three (3) days of unpaid domestic violence leave within any twelve-month period. A twelve-month period is defined as any rolling twelve month period measured backward from the date that leave is used. This policy applies if an employee uses the leave from work to:

Seek an injunction for protection against domestic violence or an injunction for protection in cases of repeat violence, dating violence, or sexual violence;
Obtain medical care or mental health counseling, or both, for the employee or a family or household member to address physical or psychological injuries resulting from the act of domestic violence;
Obtain services from a victim-services organization, including, but not limited to, a domestic violence shelter or program or a rape crisis center as a result of the act of domestic violence;
Make the employee's home secure from the perpetrator of the domestic violence or to seek new housing to escape the perpetrator; or
Seek legal assistance in addressing issues arising from the act of domestic violence or to attend and prepare for court-related proceedings arising from the act of domestic violence.

For purposes of this policy, "domestic violence" means any assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death of one family or household member by another family or household member.

For purposes of this policy, "family or household member" means spouses, former spouses, persons related by blood or marriage, persons who are presently residing together as if a family or who have resided together in the past as if a family, and persons who are parents of a child in common regardless of whether they have been married. With the exception of persons who have a child in common, the family or household members must be currently residing or have in the past resided together in the same single dwelling unit.

The employee is required to use paid leave, i.e., sick leave (if qualified) including personal leave, and vacation leave prior to using unpaid leave. Both paid and unpaid leave are counted against the three day domestic violence leave entitlement. Employees who are not concurrently using paid leave (i.e., vacation leave or sick leave, including personal leave) while on domestic violence leave shall not accrue paid leave while on domestic violence leave.