Why domestic abuse is a workplace issue — and what business can do about it

We’re excited to announce the Global Business Summit: Taking Action on Domestic Abuse, presented in partnership with the Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA), is happening on November 3.

This guest blog is written by Susan Bright, CEO of EIDA.

In my previous life, I was a lawyer and partner at a global law firm.  For many years, I was the Managing Partner of our UK practice and led the introduction of our firm’s domestic abuse policy. I wish I could remember — and thank — the person who suggested we have such a policy.  What I do remember is the sceptical questioning of a senior management colleague: “Why do we need a domestic abuse policy?  Nobody working here is going to be experiencing domestic abuse!”.

They were wrong. 

When the policy was launched, the response from our employees was immediate. Colleagues came forward, shared their experiences, and asked for help. It became clear that domestic abuse wasn’t something happening “somewhere else.” It was happening to our colleagues, silently, and far more often than we realised.

Domestic abuse affects all of us

Domestic abuse is all around us. As I have learned more about domestic abuse, I see and hear it everywhere. 1 in 4 adults in the UK will experience domestic abuse. Despite it being so common, there are still many myths about what domestic abuse is and who it happens to. Domestic abuse comes in a range of forms in addition to physical violence — economic abuse, sexual abuse, physical harm, psychological abuse, with control and coercion at its centre. Victim-survivors often talk about “walking on eggshells” around their abuser, as well as being gaslit, frightened, isolated, in fear of their safety and their life. 

Domestic abuse is a workplace issue

Domestic abuse has devastating impacts on individuals, on society, and on business.

Domestic abuse costs businesses in England alone a staggering £17 billion each year through lost output. This is scarcely surprising. How can someone experiencing control, abuse, and potentially violence, perform at their best?  The abuser may also be deliberating undermining their ability to work by making them late, interrupting them with constant messages or calls, threatening them if they come home late, taking away their work clothes, and preventing them from attending work events or trips.  

For someone experiencing domestic abuse, work may be their only safe place. We saw this starkly during the Covid lockdowns. When workplaces closed, calls to domestic abuse helplines surged. The workplace isn’t just a source of income, it can be a lifeline.

As employers, we have a responsibility for our employees, and this extends to supporting those experiencing domestic abuse (as outlined in the Statutory Guidance accompanying the UK Domestic Abuse Act 2021). Employers can make a huge positive difference in the lives of employees impacted by domestic abuse. A supportive employer can support a victim-survivor to stay safe and in work, with financial independence that may help them to escape abuse and rebuild their life.  

Joining forces with employers across the country

Leading the rollout of my law firm’s domestic abuse response became my stepping-stone to my current life after law. Three years ago, I became the CEO of the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA). We are a UK based charity and member network of employers committed to taking effective action on domestic abuse. I have the privilege of working with businesses across the country with a shared mission: to raise awareness of domestic abuse and to provide practical support to employees. 

There is so much an employer can do, most of which is very practical and achievable for even small organisations (and inexpensive, if not free). 

• Raising awareness of what domestic abuse is, and examples of abusive behaviours. Many people do not recognise that what they are experiencing is domestic abuse. Awareness-raising posters that signpost to helplines are great to hang on the back of washroom doors and in other private spaces. 
• Flexibility to manage time and other workplace adjustments can remove a big logistical burden for victim-survivors. Employers may also be able to offer paid time off work for a victim-survivor to attend appointments and court hearings. 
• A safe place to store important information. Workplace systems can help victim-survivors store evidence and written records if their personal devices are being monitored, or provide a safe place to store documents and possessions as part of plans to leave an abusive situation. 
• Be a listening ear and signpost to specialist services. Employers don’t have to be domestic abuse experts, and victim-survivors don’t expect their workplace to solve the issues they face. But knowing that they will be met with empathy and understanding is vital. Employers can also refer victim-survivors to local and national support services for specialist help. 

EIDA equips employers with the practical guidance and resources they need to implement the steps suggested above. We have a step-by-step Handbook for large and small organisations, a template domestic abuse policy, guides for managers and colleagues, and communications resources (such as awareness-raising posters). My favourite part of the job is when we bring businesses together to share learnings, discuss challenges and how to overcome them, and inspire one another to take collective and innovative action. 

I have seen the change that happens when businesses step up to meet this challenge that has such a devastating impact on people and their families. Together, we can protect our people and make clear that abuse has no place in our society.  There is so much we can learn from each other about how to make a positive difference. I am therefore particularly delighted that EIDA is extending that collaboration further by partnering with NO MORE on the first global summit focused on the business response to domestic abuse.