New research by Women's Refuge shows more women are disclosing that they are victims of family violence at work.

Under the Domestic Violence - Victim's Protection Act, introduced eight years ago, those affected by family violence are entitled to up to 10 days of paid leave a year and can request flexible working arrangements.

Women's Refuge research adviser Holly Carrington said the legislation was making a difference but there was significant room for improvement.

"There's been improvements across the board. We think the legislation raised awareness amongst employers that this is a workplace issue."

The Women's Refuge asked women who had been victims of family violence about their experiences with their workplace.

Its report released to RNZ, Workplace Responses to Victims of Intimate Partner Violence, showed more women told their manager they were victims of family violence.

It found the numbers using paid family violence leave rose from 9% to almost 34% since the Victim's Protection Act came in to force.

The refuge collated the research from surveys done in 2019 and 2024.

Carrington said workplaces had a big role to play.

"Employment is so critical because not only it's income and potential for providing independence for that woman but also a source of social connection, self worth and self confidence… and potentially a place of safety."

More women also reported that their workplace response made them safer - this increased 20% to 62%.

"Part of it is ... keeping their information confidential. We know that oftentimes perpetrators will be really sneaky and try to get contact details of women trying to separate," Carrington said.

"It can also be just stopping someone from coming on site if the victim doesn't want them there."

Family violence expert and associate professor at the University of Auckland, Carrie Leonetti, said there were still big gaps in workplaces' responses.

"That's a massive improvement but it does still mean that more than a third of women feel like the response they got from their workplace didn't make them safer.

"To me the important question moving forward is what's going on in the other 38 percent of cases where they don't feel like they're being made safer."

She said family violence included financial abuse, stalking and psychological abuse.

Under the Act, workplaces could ask victims for proof of such violence.

"The statute does not indicate what on earth proof of the family violence would look like and I think this comes from a myth that people have that most family violence is physical, so people are thinking there may be medical records or there will be a police report."

Leonetti said that was concerning because a woman's disclosure of such violence should be the proof.

In her work with Shine, Mira Taitz trained people leaders and managers to respond appropriately to disclosures of family violence.

She asked employers not to ask for proof.

"Most employers that we work with are really happy to overtly state in their policy that they won't be asking for proof, because that can make the difference between people coming forward to access the leave or not."

Taitz said workplaces that were clued up in their response were offering victims of family violence practical safety, such as secure carparks and blocking the perpetrator's access to the building.

"We've just seen a huge growth in awareness and normalisation that this is a workplace issue and all employers are expected and should be able to provide these entitlements safely."

The annual workplace entitlements appled to employees affected by family violence past or present.

Carrington said many women were not seeking help and this needed to change.

"The biggest barrier for women to disclose family violence is shame and embarrassment and fear of judgment," she said.

"There's a real need for employers to normalise conversations about family violence and raise awareness about it so that there's less stigma for women to come forward and seek help."

Where to get help — family violence