The governor of Puerto Rico has recently enacted amendments to Act No. 54 of August 15, 1989, known as the “Act for the Prevention and Intervention with Domestic Violence”. Prior to this adjustment, the act largely viewed domestic violence through a narrow lens; it has now been broadened to encompass economic violence. This is a form of domestic cruelty which had been largely overlooked in the legal sphere up until this point. Intricacies of the economic violence definition and outlining the change can be referred to here.
The spate of amendments have implications beyond providing a recourse to victims of economic abuse. It explicitly necessitates a shift in employer policies in Puerto Rico to accommodate these alterations in the Act. A proactive approach must be adopted, and specific measures must be put in place to address this particular type of domestic violence.
The amendments come fortified with additional remedies to address this form of maltreatment, one of which includes specifically tailored protective orders. The detailed workings of these have yet to be fully divulged, but their intent to provide a level of security to victims is clear. It also implies a degree of enforcement on the side of employers that could potentially alter standard operational procedures.
Policies put in place by employers in response to the new amendments will have far-reaching implications on workplace culture and corporate responsibility. Companies, large and small, will need to revisit their existing policies on violence against employees, adapting, transforming, and strengthening them to be in total alignment with the new provisions outlined in Act No. 54. The weight of enforcing these measures lies heavily on the shoulders of Puerto Rico’s employers and their HR departments.
This development deserves the careful attention of legal professionals too― both those who work in-house at corporations and those in legal firms. The role of providing guidance and spotting potential legal infringements before they become an issue, will be crucial as these amendments manifest in everyday operations. But only time will truly reveal the broader ramifications of these amendments for employers and the individuals they seek to protect.