VAWC leave is a paid leave of up to 10 days for women employees who are victims of violence. Section 43 of Republic Act 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004, grants it. It comes on top of other paid leaves under the Labor Code and Civil Service rules. So it does not use up your sick or vacation credits. A protection order can extend it when the need arises.
If you are in danger right now, contact the police, your barangay VAW desk, or the PNP Women and Children Protection Desk first. You can sort out the leave afterward.
Who can take VAWC leave
The leave is for women employees in both the private and public sectors who are victims of violence as defined by RA 9262. The Civil Service Commission’s guidelines also extend it to a woman government employee whose child is the victim. The child must be below 18, or older but unable to take care of themselves. Private-sector guidance generally follows the same approach.
The abuser must be someone the law covers. That means a husband or former husband, or someone the woman has or had a sexual or dating relationship with. It also includes a person with whom she has a common child. Therefore, the leave covers abuse within intimate and family relationships, not violence by strangers or co-workers, which falls under other laws.
Forms of violence the law recognizes
RA 9262 covers four kinds of abuse:
- Physical violence, meaning acts causing bodily harm.
- Sexual violence, including rape, sexual harassment, and forcing a woman or her child into sexual acts.
- Psychological violence, such as intimidation, harassment, stalking, public humiliation, repeated verbal abuse, and causing a child to witness abuse.
- Economic abuse, such as withdrawing financial support, controlling the woman’s own money, or preventing her from working.
As a result, a woman need not have physical injuries to qualify. The law covers psychological and economic abuse equally.
What VAWC leave can be used for
According to the CSC, the special leave gives a victim time for relief and recovery. You can also use it for the steps that follow abuse. These include seeing a doctor, going to the barangay or police, and consulting a lawyer. Attending hearings and arranging safe housing count too. Mothers whose children are victims can use it to care for the child and handle the case.
You do not have to take the 10 days all at once. Many employees use them as needed while a protection order or case is pending. For instance, one day may go to the barangay, two to a medical exam, and the rest to court dates.
Proof accepted for VAWC leave
The implementing rules make the certification simple and free. According to the CSC’s guidelines, the employee submits any of the following:
- a Barangay Protection Order (BPO) from the barangay, or a Temporary or Permanent Protection Order (TPO or PPO) from the court;
- if there is no order yet, a certification that the action is pending, from the Punong Barangay or Kagawad, the prosecutor, or the Clerk of Court handling the BPO, TPO, or PPO application;
- if none of these are available, a police report detailing the violence together with a medical certificate, subject to the discretion of the immediate supervisor.
The certification is enough for the employer to grant the leave. The employer has no right to demand the details of what happened.
Protection orders in brief
Since proof is often tied to a protection order, it helps to know the three kinds. The Punong Barangay, or a Kagawad if the Punong Barangay is unavailable, issues a BPO on the day of filing. It lasts 15 days. A court issues a TPO, which lasts 30 days and can be renewed until a hearing. A court issues a PPO after a hearing, and it stays in effect until the court revokes it.
Applying for a BPO does not prevent you from also seeking a TPO or PPO. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the court can direct the Public Attorney’s Office to represent you.
Filing VAWC leave in a private company
There is no special DOLE form. In practice, you file your company’s leave form, mark it as leave under RA 9262, and attach the protection order or certification. If you worry about who will see it, send it straight to the HR head. Use a sealed envelope or a private email instead of going through your team lead.
The Labor Code penalizes employers who refuse or prejudice the leave. The law also protects co-workers: an employer who punishes someone for helping a colleague who is a VAWC victim is liable for discrimination.
Filing VAWC leave in government
For government employees, the CSC guidelines ask for a leave application citing RA 9262. File it before taking the leave or upon returning to work, with the supporting proof described above. The leave is with pay. Unused days lapse at year-end and do not carry over or convert to cash.
If the protection order requires more time, the leave extends with it. Beyond that, the employee may use her regular sick and vacation leave credits.
Confidentiality is part of the law
Section 44 of RA 9262 makes all records of VAWC cases confidential, including those at the barangay. The law punishes anyone who publishes a victim’s name, address, phone number, school, employer, or other identifying details without consent. The penalty is one year in prison and a fine of up to ₱500,000. HR staff who process the leave must therefore keep the documents private and share them only with those who need them to approve pay.
If you find out people at work are discussing your situation, document it. Then raise it with HR management, the union, or DOLE. For government employees, the CSC and the agency’s gender and development focal point are also options.
VAWC leave alongside other benefits
The 10 days stack with other leave. For example, an employee recovering from injuries can use sick leave after VAWC leave runs out. Workers who need more time may also ask for unpaid leave or flexible work arrangements.
The Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710) adds related protections, such as gender and development programs and the special leave for gynecological surgery. Our Magna Carta of Women guide covers those.
Help beyond the workplace
RA 9262 entitles victims to support services from the DSWD and local government units, including temporary shelter, counseling, and psychosocial help. Every barangay must have a VAW desk, and the PNP has Women and Children Protection Desks in police stations.
For financial emergencies, the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program can provide medical, transport, or food support; see the DSWD page on AICS. A woman raising children alone after leaving an abusive relationship may also qualify for a Solo Parent ID. That ID unlocks additional leave and benefits; see our Solo Parent ID guide.
When the abuser works in the same company
Sometimes the respondent is a co-worker or even a supervisor. In that situation, the protection order itself may direct him to stay away from the woman’s workplace, and the employer should help enforce it. Practical steps include separating work schedules, changing reporting lines, and alerting security. Meanwhile, the conduct at work may also be sexual harassment. In that case, the company’s committee on decorum and investigation has its own process under the Safe Spaces Act or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, separate from VAWC leave.
Documenting what happened
Even if you are not ready to file a case, keeping records helps later. Save threatening messages, photos of injuries, and medical records where the abuser cannot reach them. A trusted relative’s phone or a separate email account works well. RA 9262 requires health care providers to properly document a victim’s injuries, so ask the doctor for a medical certificate at every visit. These records can support a protection order application, which in turn supports VAWC leave if you need it.
A note for HR and supervisors
Supervisors who receive a VAWC leave request should approve it based on the certification and avoid asking about the incident. Keep the paperwork in a confidential file separate from the regular 201 file if possible. Consider whether the employee needs schedule changes, a different workstation, or screening of visitors, especially if the abuser knows where she works. Small adjustments like these can matter as much as the leave itself.
Quick checklist for VAWC leave
- Get a BPO, TPO, or PPO, or a certification that your application is pending.
- If neither is possible yet, get a police report and a medical certificate.
- File your company leave form or CSC leave application, citing RA 9262.
- Send it privately to HR, and keep copies.
- Use the days as you need them; they are paid and do not reduce other leaves.
Last checked against RA 9262 on Lawphil and the Civil Service Commission’s Ten-Day Leave for VAWC Victims page on October 2026. Company policies may add steps, but they cannot reduce the leave the law grants.
