During the first national lockdown Refuge, the charity which runs the National Domestic Abuse helpline, reported around a 65% increase in calls and a 700% increase in the number of visits to its Helpline website [1]. In an open letter to Employers published on 14 January 2021, Business Minister Paul Scully MP stated that recent reports suggest that this increase in demand for support services is continuing in the current lockdown.

The current Government Guidance instructs people to stay at home and states “you must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary”. Thankfully, the Government has recognised that not everyone has a safe home environment and in its guidance states “You may leave home, to avoid injury or illness or to escape risk of harm (such as domestic abuse)”.

In June, the Government launched a review into workplace support for victims of domestic abuse and has now published its Report which found that few employers are aware of the warning signs when an employee is suffering from domestic abuse, and even fewer have policies in place to support those who need help.

All employers have a duty of health and safety towards their employees, whether they are working in the office or from home. Whilst working from home, many employees may be “out of sight, out of mind” and it is easy, but a risk, for employers to assume that everyone has a safe working environment at home. Employers should also be alive to the fact that although women are disproportionately affected, men and children also experience domestic abuse and it can happen to anyone at any level of seniority within their business and in any community. Domestic abuse transcends boundaries of protected characteristics such as gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion or belief and can affect anybody. Domestic abuse itself can take many forms and can be not only physical but also psychological, emotional, sexual, verbal and economic.

Warning signs for Employers to look out for:

  • Employees wanting to return to the office instead of working from home – if an employee is meeting their targets and completing their work on time, then employers may not have reason to think that anything is wrong. It is harder to pick up on behavioural signs or other indicators that something is not quite right when only communicating via phone or video, rather than seeing employees in person.
  • Employees requesting not to be placed on furlough – Employers should question why this is; it may not just be based on concerns about loss of earnings, (i.e. only earning 80% of their usual salary subject to the Government cap of £2500 per month), potential adverse impact on career progression and possible redundancy, but something more serious, such as not wanting to spend time at home where they are at risk of danger from an abuser.
  • Employees requesting to change their shifts or shift patterns – again, this might be because they want to try and arrange their working hours so that they limit the amount of time spent at home with their abuser. Sadly, for some, the workplace is a safer environment than their home.
  • A sudden change in behaviour or drop in productivity – out of character behaviour, for example suddenly becoming very quiet and anxious, or aggressive and distracted might mean there is a problem. Reduced quantity and quality of work, or an unusual increase in the number of times an employee is late or calls in sick are also warning signs. Employers should be looking out for these indicators regardless, as generally these are indicators that something is wrong, whether it is related to domestic abuse or not.
  • Physical indicators – this is obviously harder to spot if employees are working from home, as you do not necessarily see them daily. One sign might be that someone who has previously been happy to have their camera on during video calls suddenly stops turning their camera on. This could be to try and hide bruising or other injuries that may be visible on video calls. They may also try and use makeup to hide cuts on their faces when before they were comfortable going make-up free.

What can Employers do to support its Employees who are suffering from domestic abuse?

  • Acknowledge the issue and raise awareness – lack of awareness and understanding is usually the first barrier in addressing domestic abuse. Employers should provide a safe and supportive culture so that employees are confident enough to discuss the topic without feeling shame or stigma, as well as provide training to ensure that staff can spot the signs of domestic abuse so they can then respond appropriately. This may simply be listening to a colleague’s concerns or worries, or it could be helping them to access the right support. This could be referring them to a charitable organisation, a women’s shelter, an employee assistance helpline, any confidential counselling services the employee can access through the employer’s private medical insurance policy, the police, a good lawyer or putting them in contact with the right person in the workplace who can help further, such as a designated senior HR person. If employers have trained mental health first aiders, this may be a good starting point, as domestic abuse is likely to adversely affect a victim’s mental health and mental health first aiders may well be attuned to spotting the warning signs. Employers could also consider setting up a confidential anonymous helpline for sufferers of domestic abuse.
  • Ask what support is needed – employers should ask what support they can practically offer and listen to the suggestions of their employees. This might be allowing a change to working patterns, or flexible working arrangements so that an individual can access certain services, such as seeing a Doctor or Counsellor in order to be able to look after their physical and mental health. An employee might want a quiet, safe space, that they can use during working hours to make confidential telephone calls to a solicitor, or other practical arrangements, away from the ears of their abuser or colleagues. If employers suspect there is some form of coercive control, they would be wise to move the employee out of view of the public and ensure that they are not left on their own or in an isolated area.
  • Put in place a domestic abuse policy and make it clear what support is available to employees – there is no value in having a policy that no one knows exists. Employers should make sure that both domestic abuse sufferers and their colleagues know where and how to access swiftly and confidentially, if appropriate, information about the support offered by their employer, whether this is contained in a handbook, on the employer’s intranet or on informative posters in the workplace.

The Government’s Report on workplace support for victims of domestic abuse concludes that although the UK has a range of policies which support employees to balance work and home life, such as statutory sick pay and measures promoting flexible working, there are still unmet needs for flexibility and time out of work. The Government has stated that it will consult on these issues, as well as how victims of domestic abuse can exercise their existing employment rights more effectively, as well as make further proposals to better support victims of domestic abuse.

[1] Office for National Statistics (2020) Domestic abuse during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, England and Wales: November 2020. Available at https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/domesticabuseduringthecoronaviruscovid19
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