November 4, 2019 – County Executive George Latimer is announcing that the recently passed ‘Safe Leave’ Law in Westchester has gone into effect as of October 30, 2019.

When the bill was first signed into law, Latimer said: “This is a major step forward for people who are victims of domestic violence to be able to get the support that they need in order to deal with that victimization and to know they won’t have to sacrifice their employment to do so. This again shows our willingness to be on the forefront of progressive action, to do it in a bi- or tri-partisan fashion, and to do it in concert with what we are hearing from the community.”

The measure, which unanimously passed the County Board of Legislators, with tri-partisan support (Democrat, Republican and Conservative) will give victims of domestic violence or human trafficking the ability to take “safe leave” from their jobs.

This new law grants victims of domestic violence or human trafficking up to 40 hours of paid leave to attend or testify in court proceedings related to their situations, to move from an abuser’s residence or to speak with lawyers or other advisers. Employers may ask for reasonable documentation that ‘safe time’ has been used for these purposes.

Those seeking more information on the law can find resources here.