Victims of domestic violence would be eligible for two weeks' leave and flexible start-finish times to reduce the risk of stalking, under new provisions that unions want cemented as universal workplace rights.

A new claim by the Australian Council of Trade Unions will urge the national industrial umpire to include clauses in all awards for 10 days' paid domestic violence leave for permanent staff and 10 days' unpaid leave for casuals.

The number of Australian workplaces offering domestic violence leave has more than doubled in two years, with an estimated 1.6 million people now covered.

A growing number of large companies – including the National Australia Bank, Aldi, Dulux, McDonalds and IKEA – have introduced such clauses, in a trend that advocates say recognises the problem is no longer a private matter.

But now unions are pushing to extend it further and to have paid domestic violence leave guaranteed as a universal workplace right.