Olga Stachova, CEO of MOSAIC, writes “for more than 25 years, MOSAIC has worked with immigrants and refugees who have been impacted by gender-based violence – including sexual assault, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, bullying and personal harassment – by offering wrap-around support and counselling services to those who are abused, and for those who use violence against their partners.
Unpaid leave for people facing domestic and/or sexual violence is already in the B.C. Employment Standards Act. However, our province lags behind others across Canada in making this a paid leave. In October 2019, the B.C. government led a province-wide consultation on paid leave for victims of domestic and/or sexual violence. MOSAIC (Multi-lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities) shared its expertise and made recommendations that employers need to be proactively developing policies, education and training to promote a work environment of dignity and respect for all at their workplaces.”