Witness and Victims of Crimes Leave Policy
(with Acknowledgment)


Summary

There are no federal mandates to provide an employee time off from work to participate in a criminal proceeding as a crime victim or as a member of a crime victim's immediate family or to appear in court or any other judicial proceeding as a witness. However, some states require employers to provide employees time off for such purposes. A policy concerning witness and crime victim leave should include (1) the amount of leave allowed, (2) whether employees may use crime victim leave to assist a family member who is a victim, (3) any requirement to provide advance notice and/or supporting documentation to the employer, and (4) whether the employee may or must use his or her accrued leave time. For a full listing of key content covering leaves for employees, see Leaves for Employees Resource Kit. For a full listing of key content covering employee handbook considerations, see Employee Handbook Resource Kit. For more information on whether a particular state requires employers to provide ...