Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill proposes paid leave for domestic abuse victims and survivors
“Domestic abuse is a national emergency” declared Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre as he introduced the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill in the House of Commons earlier this month on Tuesday 7th January. The Bill proposes an entitlement to paid safe leave for victims of domestic abuse. In an impassioned motion to the House, McIntyre emphasised that anyone can experience domestic abuse, which is a burgeoning problem throughout this country.
1 in 5 adults will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. Women are more likely to encounter domestic abuse; for every three victims of domestic abuse, two are female and one is male. Despite the alarming number of domestic abuse related calls to police in the UK – one call every 30 seconds – domestic abuse remains chronically under-reported, with an estimated less than 24% of cases being reported to police. Domestic abuse is not a private matter, it’s a public issue that requires a societal response.
Although the terms domestic abuse and domestic violence are often used interchangeably, domestic abuse encompasses a wider range of abusive behaviours. Domestic abuse can be a single incident or repeated behaviour consisting of any of the following:
Physical or sexual abuse
Violent or threatening behaviour
Controlling or coercive behaviour
Economic abuse
Psychological or emotional abuse
Domestic abuse doesn’t stay at home, it permeates every part of life—including the workplace. Your workplace may employ a person experiencing domestic abuse, a person perpetrating abusive behaviour or both. An individual experiencing domestic abuse may need time off for a variety of reasons, but this may include dealing with health or housing issues, obtaining legal advice, counselling etc. but frequent sick or unpaid leave ,may jeopardise their job security and financial stability. If it passes, The Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill would entitle victims of domestic abuse to ten days of paid safe leave for connected purposes, such as safety planning, relocating, or attending court proceedings. This leave would provide victims and survivors of domestic abuse much-needed time to access services and seek safety, without losing wages or incurring further financial burden.
A recent report by Women’s Aid found that it can cost victims and survivors of domestic abuse upwards of £50,000 to leave an abuser. Where the psychological costs of fleeing are often insurmountable. DAWS Domestic Abuse Workplace Solutions would urge your organisations to be at the forefront of change and implement paid safe leave with employees as part of your wider response to address workplace domestic abuse abuse. Creating a supportive workplace culture for those experiencing abuse can raise awareness about domestic abuse and encourage a culture of zero tolerance leading to increased reporting and intervention. Changing workplace culture can be a difficult task, but training can raise awareness, validate and support victims and survivors, and offer a safe space to encourage those using harmful behaviour to understand and address their behaviour.