Government calls on employers to support victims of domestic abuse

On 14 January 2021, Business Minister, Paul Scully MP, published an open letter calling on all UK employers to take practical steps to raise awareness of domestic abuse, enable warning signs to be noticed and help workers access the support they need. The CIPD and EHRC have published a guide recommending that employers have a clear policy in place to support employees and a framework of support made up of four steps: recognise the problem, respond appropriately to disclosure, provide support and refer to appropriate help.

On 10 June 2020, the government launched a review of how employers and the government could better support domestic abuse survivors in the workplace. A final report is now being published, which has found that lack of awareness of warning signs, stigma around talking about domestic abuse and lack of knowledge about specialist services is preventing domestic abuse survivors getting the help they need in the workplace. The government is to consult on the steps that can be taken so survivors can better exercise their existing employment rights, such as the right to request flexible working. A working group of employers, representatives of domestic abuse victims and trade unions will be established. This group will meet regularly to establish practical solutions that employers can implement in the workplace, and to measure their impact on supporting survivors.

You can read more about this here: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Press release: Business Minister: employers have a duty to spot early signs of domestic abuse (14 January 2021).