Why it’s time to talk about domestic abuse in the workplace

Many factors have an impact on mental wellbeing, with varying effects. Domestic abuse has a profound effect on mental health. It’s also extremely common, and employers should be aware that people who work for you may be affected by it.

Colleagues may be suffering physical and emotional harm, and their lives may be at risk. But they may be unlikely to tell you, and will probably hide it from their colleagues. People who experience domestic abuse often live in shame of what is happening, and although they are desperate for help they fear the consequences of going to the police or of fleeing the family home.

Domestic abuse is the most grievous injustice. For too long we have remained silent and failed to intervene. We can no longer pretend that this is a private matter.

Breaking taboos

With the shocking court case of Alex Skeel as well as programmes like The Archers and Holby City covering the topic, now is the time for employers to address their discomfort and start talking about this taboo topic. The government has shown its determination for positive change with the new Domestic Violence Bill out for consultation.

Many employers will feel like domestic abuse is not an issue to do with them, preferring not to step into employees’ personal lives. Yet evidence from research commissioned by the Vodafone Foundation found that 75% of people experiencing domestic abuse are targeted at work. The human cost is immeasurable.

Business impact

But we also know that the cost to business of failing to intervene is substantial, estimated at almost £2 billion a year. However, just 5% of organisations have a domestic abuse policy or guideline to inform line managers and HR how to respond. It’s therefore hardly surprising that only 0.5% of employees experiencing domestic abuse disclose their experiences at work. Women and men who experience domestic abuse generally suffer in silence at work.

The risk is present for all employers, regardless of the size of your organisation or the nature of your business. By doing the right thing for employees and colleagues, employers can mitigate this risk. Employers have a duty of care and a legal responsibility to all their employees. Staff should feel confident that work is a safe and supportive place to disclose issues of domestic abuse. That’s why it’s vital that employers of all sizes and across all sectors take action now to mitigate the risk.

Sources of help for employers

In July 2018, Business in the Community is publishing a new toolkit for employers on domestic abuse, in partnership with Public Health England that joins our suite which takes a holistic approach to mental and physical health.

The domestic abuse toolkit advocates three key actions for employers

Acknowledge - Use this toolkit to help understand the issues, and acknowledge every employer’s responsibility to address domestic abuse. Enable colleagues to openly discuss this topic, and provide a supportive workplace
Respond - Review your policies and processes to ensure you are providing a supportive workplace and can respond to disclosure.
Refer - Provide access to organisations who can help employees affected by the issue. For example, signpost to a resource such as the Bright Sky app to report concerns

Employers are increasingly taking a new and positive approach to mental health at work, and we have made huge progress. Now is the time to tackle the culture of silence around domestic abuse.

With this toolkit we are calling on employers to follow the government’s lead. It is time to talk about domestic abuse.

This article is written by Louise Aston, wellbeing director, Business in the Community.