No One Should Have to Choose Between Their Safety and Their Paycheque

Ahead of the Global Business Summit: Taking Action on Domestic Abuse on November 3, we're excited to share guest blogs from some of our speakers.

This piece is written by Christie Paschakis, Founder of SOAR Initiative Canada and the Ontario Says NO MORE chapter.

Imagine sitting in your car outside work, trying to stop your hands from shaking.

You have barely slept.

Your partner has threatened you, controlled your money, or monitored your every move.

You need to find somewhere safe to stay, speak with a lawyer, or protect your children.

But your shift is about to begin, and missing work could mean sacrificing income you can’t afford to go without.

What do you do when protecting your safety could put your financial security at risk?

For people experiencing domestic and sexual violence, this is a devastating reality. It is also why employers and unions must do better.

Domestic abuse is often treated as a private matter, something that happens behind closed doors. But violence does not stay at home. It affects people's health, finances, concentration, relationships, and ability to feel safe at work. We need to be serious about ending domestic and sexual violence, we must recognize that workplace support can make a real difference in someone's ability to seek safety.

Ontario provides eligible employees with job-protected domestic or sexual violence leave under the Employment Standards Act. Employees can take up to 10 days and 15 weeks of leave each calendar year for specific needs, including medical care, counselling, finding a new home, and getting legal help.

But, only the first five days are paid, and employees generally must have worked for their employer for at least 13 consecutive weeks to qualify – imagine again living through over 3-months in violent circumstances.

These protections matter. But what happens when five paid days are not enough?

Leaving an abusive relationship can take weeks or months. Finding safe housing, attending court, arranging childcare, and getting support cannot always happen around a work schedule. For someone whose partner has controlled their money, unpaid time off can mean being unable to afford rent, food, or transportation. The fear of losing income can make an already dangerous situation even harder to escape.

The law sets a minimum standard. It does not guarantee that every person will have the time and financial support they need to be safer.

This is where employers and unions can make a difference. Unions represent workers and negotiate with employers over pay, benefits, and workplace protections. Through these negotiations, they can bargain for stronger protection than the law requires. Employers should choose to support these improvements rather than simply doing the legal minimum.

That could mean more paid leave, clear steps for requesting time off, protection of an employee's privacy, and reassurance that asking for help will not put their job at risk. These protections can give someone the time and security to take steps toward safety without having to choose between their well-being and their next paycheque.

The language in workplace policies matters, too. Domestic abuse is not always
physical. It can involve threats, stalking, financial control, intimidation, and coercive control, a pattern of behaviour used to dominate another person, restrict their freedom, and make them afraid to act independently. This can continue long after even a single event. Sexual violence can include sexual coercion and unwanted sexual contact.

When policies do not clearly recognize these experiences, people may not know whether they qualify for support. Strengthening the language around sexual violence and explicitly recognizing coercive control helps ensure protections reflect what survivors experience.

No one should have to prove that their suffering fits a narrow definition before they can ask for help.

CUPE Local 4948, the Toronto library workers, offers a powerful example of what can happen when these issues become a priority.

In 2020, the union and the library negotiated groundbreaking paid leave provisions addressing domestic violence and sexual assault. In their subsequent agreement, negotiated in 2025, this leave was doubled, providing 98 hours of fully paid leave for part-time employees and 140 hours for full-time employees.

This is meaningful progress.

While Ontario's employment standards legislation provides eligible workers with only five paid days of domestic or sexual violence leave, Local 4948 and the Toronto Public Library recognized that survivors may need more time and financial security to seek help and find safety. By doubling the leave and ensuring every hour is paid, they demonstrated that employers and unions can do more than meet the legal minimum.

They can negotiate protections that reflect the realities of people's lives. This level of cooperation and understanding will likely save lives.

Their achievement matters beyond one library system. It shows that employers and unions do not have to wait for the government to raise its standards before making progress – legislation after all, is the minimum threshold. They can lead by example and create a model for other workplaces to follow. Even people who do not belong to a union benefit when stronger workplace protections encourage other employers to do better.

Every workplace should be asking important questions. Is there enough paid leave for someone to seek safety? Do policies recognize coercive control and sexual violence? Can employees ask for support without fear of losing their jobs or having their private lives exposed? Do managers know how to respond with care and respect?

Ending domestic and sexual violence requires action from governments, communities, employers, and individuals. Laws are essential, but meeting the legal minimum should be the start of our ambition. Employers and unions have the opportunity to do more, and they should.

Now let’s return to that initial abusive scenario, but this time, knowing your employer will support you, your income will not immediately disappear, and you will have time to take the next step toward safety. That is the kind of protection every worker should be able to count on. This should be our standard.

No one should have to choose between their safety and their paycheque. The law provides a starting point. It is up to all of us to keep pushing for better.

Author Bio: Christie Paschakis is the founder of SOAR Initiative Canada and the Ontario Says NO MORE chapter, dedicated to ending sexual violence, domestic violence, and child abuse. A librarian with over 25 years of service at the Toronto Public Library, she served on the 2025 bargaining committee for CUPE Local 4948 and was elected Vice- President in fall 2025. She currently advocates for CUPE locals across Ontario to negotiate stronger protections and paid leave for survivors.

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