On behalf of Washington State organizations that serve and advocate on behalf of survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, Legal Voice submitted a letter to Senator Patty Murray in support of the Security and Financial Empowerment (SAFE) Act.
The SAFE Act would help to reduce the need for survivors to choose between economic security and their safety by creating strong workplace protections, including:
- Enabling survivors to take up to 30 days off from work in a 12-month period to receive medical attention, seek legal assistance, attend court proceedings, and make and implement safety plans;
- Prohibiting many different forms of employment discrimination against survivors, including discrimination against survivors who are subject to intimate image exploitation; and
- Ensuring that survivors are eligible for unemployment insurance if they need to leave their jobs due to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
The SAFE Act is a critical step in ensuring the physical and financial security of all people impacted by gender-based violence.
Thank you to King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, and YWCA’s Sexual Violence Legal Services for standing with the SAFE Act and the survivors it will protect, in Washington State and beyond.
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