CLEVELAND — Cleveland City Council is considering new legislation that helps better protect victims of domestic violence.
It would give Cleveland area non-union full-time and part-time workers the necessary paid time off to recover and find a safe space.
Ward 14 Councilwoman Jasmin Santana has made it her personal mission to make "Safe Leave" a reality.
She and her mother were both personally impacted by domestic violence.
Unfortunately, she says her mom was never able to take time off work to get help.
Santana says Ohio Domestic Violence data shows a 62% increase in cases from 2019 to 2021.
60% of domestic violence survivors lost their jobs.
Santana says providing paid "Safe Leave" will help domestic violence victims find safety and shelter, recover from the trauma and still maintain a job while getting help.
"So, this will allow time up to 60 hours for full-time, 30 hours for part-time. It can absolutely be the difference between being able to get to a safe place or not," said Santana.
Cleveland City Council is expected to vote on the "Safe Leave" legislation at their meeting at 7 p.m.
If it passes—it could lay the groundwork for other cities across Northeast Ohio.
As soon as a decision comes down—News 5 will bring the results on-air, online and on the News 5 Cleveland app.
