According to government statistics for last year, around 1.2 million women suffered domestic abuse on varying levels. Given that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their life, it is very likely that all workplaces have employees who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse.
Research has shown that in the UK, in any one year, more than 20% of employed women take time off work because of domestic violence and 75% of women experiencing domestic abuse are targeted at work, with partners making threatening phone calls and turning up at the premises unannounced.
Domestic abuse currently costs UK businesses £1.9 billion a year. Being a good employer includes supporting staff through difficult periods in their lives. All employees who experience abuse should be supported regardless of gender and the type of abuse.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has recently published some guidance to help employers to manage and support those employees affected by domestic abuse. It is intended to educate employers on how to spot the warning signs of abuse and provide them with actions that can be taken to allow staff to feel safe and supported at work. The guidance also notes the importance of being able to direct staff in the direction of other sources of specialist help such as domestic abuse charities and helplines.
Practical tips include looking for changes in the way an employee behaves / appears, diverting phone calls and emails away from the employee if they are receiving threatening phone calls, ensuring the employee does not work alone or in isolation and has arrangements for safely getting to and from work, identifying someone within the business that they can approach for confidential assistance.
Although the guidance may not be directly relevant at this particular time to all workplaces, it should hopefully raise awareness and provide a starting point for those employers who want to take steps to improve their policies / support mechanisms for those staff affected by domestic abuse.
The full guidance document can be found here.
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