Kentucky lawmakers and state advocates want to expand the state’s unemployment system to include survivors of domestic violence. Democratic state Representative Nima Kulkarni of Louisville says next month she’ll sponsor a new version of House Bill 78, which aims to help alleviate financial stress for those fleeing abusive situations. In a recent hearing, experts across the state testified about how financial entanglement with an abusive partner can prevent individuals from leaving their abuser. Kulkarni says the bill would allow people experiencing domestic violence, stalking and harassment to claim benefits.
Research shows around eighty percent of domestic-violence survivors say their ability to work was impacted by an abusive partner, including missing days of work or losing a job. And, seventy-nine percent of victims experiencing abusive behavior that affected their work reported being late to work because of interference from abusers.
Executive Director of Oasis Women’s Shelter in Owensboro Andrea Robinson explains that abusive relationships can significantly impact job readiness and a person’a ability to find and keep employment. She says being able to claim benefits will allow more individuals — especially those with children — to maintain financial stability so they can seek safety elsewhere. She adds that survivors can end up losing their jobs for myriad reasons.
Dustin Pugel of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy says that currently Kentuckians who leave their jobs voluntarily or without good cause don’t qualify for benefits.
A study published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine found the pandemic has exacerbated financial dependence within abusive relationships by worsening job loss and unemployment, particularly among women of color, immigrants and workers without a college education.