what is domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse refers to abusive behaviours which take place between two people aged over 16 who are personally connected to each other. This includes people who are, or have previously been married, in civil partnerships or in relationships; or have a child together, or are relatives.
2021 Domestic Abuse Act states that abuse can be a single incident, but is often a pattern of behaviours, and it takes many forms:
- online
- psychological
- physical
- sexual
- emotional
- verbal
- economic
- coercive and controlling behaviour
Men, women and children can all experience domestic abuse, and perpetrators can be male or female, though women are disproportionately affected by domestic abuse and the majority of perpetrators are men.
It takes place at all levels of society, regardless of social class, race, religion, gender identity, sexuality or disability. Individuals who experience abuse are often affected by it long after they have left their partner.
There are 2.3 million victims of domestic abuse each year, aged 16 to 74. Two-thirds of whom are women, one-third men, and two in ten offences recorded by the police are domestic abuse-related. Two women each week and one man each month are killed in England and Wales by a current or former partner. These statistics speak for themselves, and that’s before we consider that they may not reveal the full picture as underreporting is an issue.
Domestic abuse is a hugely destructive problem and we have a collective responsibility to tackle it. Employers have an important role to play in society’s response to domestic abuse. Nevermore so than in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic which has seen an exponential shift to working from home. For those experiencing abuse, the workplace often offers a safe space and a respite away from their abuser. Colleagues and managers can often be the only other people outside the home that survivors talk to each day and are therefore uniquely placed to help spot signs of abuse.
calls to helplines have increased by 61% since lockdown began.
For the full source of statistics please refer to the following links:
#youarenotalone
COVID-19 has shone a light on the hidden harm of domestic abuse. The Government’s extensive #YouAreNotAlone communications campaign has raised awareness of domestic abuse and the support available to victims, reaching almost 32 million (UK adults as of
March 2021) as well as being translated into 16 languages.
The Home Office’s 'Ask for ANI’ codeword scheme continues to provide a simple and discreet way for domestic abuse victims to signal that they need immediate help using a codeword in participating pharmacies.
Almost half of all pharmacies across the UK are now participating in the scheme, following the launch in January 2021. More information on the Government’s response to domestic abuse can be found Government's response to domestic abuse.
what domestic abuse means for employers.
business effects.
The cost to the economy is considerable, with an estimated £14 billion arising from lost output due to time off work and reduced productivity because of domestic abuse. Some of the cost is borne by Government, such as health services (£2.3 billion) and the police (£1.3 billion).
Research commissioned by the Vodafone Foundation and carried out by Opinium in 2019, revealed a disconnect between what is happening to employees and how employers respond:
86% of companies believe they have a duty of care towards domestic abuse victims. But only 5% have introduced a specific policy or guideline on the issue.
how can you as an employer help?
Taking a proactive and supportive approach can help prevent domestic abuse.
An organisation’s response to domestic abuse begins with raising awareness of what it is, educating staff on what it can look like, and addressing common assumptions, such as that it only happens to women.
By instigating conversations and creating a transparent open environment in which to discuss it, employees affected by
domestic abuse will hopefully feel supported enough to acknowledge to themselves or their employer that their relationships are abusive or coercive.
Employers can then ensure the right access and signposting to appropriate support.
- Engage with your employees from the start by asking for their views and encouraging them to understand the issues, such as the possible indicators of abuse.
- Involve them in creating your workplace policy and guidance on domestic abuse and ensure that it is shared as widely as possible within the organisation.
- Mobilise an HR lead on an organisation’s response to domestic abuse and will be trusted by employees to deal with their concerns sensitively and in confidence.
the four r's.
Recognise
See and understand the problem. Enable managers and employees to tackle issues together.
Respond
Implement policies, guidance and processes for support.
Refer
Provide the tools and access to support.
Record
Note the details accurately to be prepared for potential criminal charges and proceedings that may require evidence for an investigation.
what are the signs of domestic abuse?
work productivity.
- Change in the person’s working patterns: for example, frequent absence, lateness or needing to leave work or meetings early.
- Reduced quality and quantity of work: missing deadlines, a drop in usual performance standards.
- Change in the use of the phones or email: for example, a large number of personal calls or texts, avoiding calls or a strong reaction to calls, texts and emails. During working from home this could present as being difficult to get hold of or regularly having a partner in the room during meetings
- Spending an increased number of hours at work for no reason, or being anxious to get back to the office after lockdown
- Frequent visits to work by the employee’s partner, which may indicate coercive control.
Equally some of these observations can also be caused by other factors such as general anxiety and displeasure with work-life as a whole. Proceed with caution to make an informed decision.
changes in behaviour.
- Unusual activity
- Signs of additional anxiety, depression, quietness or aggression.
- Isolation
- Secretive about home life and lack of camera usage on online meetings.
physical indicators.
- Bruising, scars or similar injuries.
- Additional makeup to cover signs
- Change in clothing potentially to hide injuries.
- Substance abuse
- Fatigue and sleep disorders.
employment law.
Employers have a legal responsibility to provide a safe and effective work environment, and they have a duty of care to employees.
Helping to support and protect employees who are experiencing domestic abuse is part of that responsibility, although, the law does not require a business to provide benefits such as paid time off, or special leave.
These are discretionary, although good practice.
Providing paid special leave is likely to help a survivor and the 2020 report from the 2020 CIPD and Equality and Human Rights Commission report advocates
for this.
Read more on the domestic abuse act here.
domestic abuse and working from home.
three actions employers can take:
- Daily contact
Ensure that no employee goes a full working day without being part of at least one call with a colleague. If contact is lost, be prepared to visit in person.
- Signposting
Make links to support services available on the company intranet and alert the whole workforce to them. Encourage staff to download the Bright Sky app on their work mobiles and ask staff to take ten minutes to read about responding to a disclosure such as this short blog from UK Says No More.
- Empower line managers
Issue either written or verbal guidance to line managers to alert them to the specific challenges of working from home for those experiencing abuse. Task them with demonstrating what steps they are taking to look after their teams.
My experience suggests that employers have as much of a role to play in raising awareness of, acknowledging, and responding to domestic abuse, just as they have on mental health. At Lloyds Banking Group we are helping our colleagues to better understand the issue, to help remove the stigma and take the issue out of the shadows, so we can all recognise the signs and feel confident and equipped to support each other and our customers.