On 29 September 2020, the CIPD and EHRC published Managing and supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse: a guide for employers. Recommendations include employers should 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 the appropriate help. It calls for an empathetic, non-judgmental approach and flexibility (for example in working hours or concerning work tasks) as two key areas for employers to focus on. As many more people are working from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, employers will need to consider how to maintain support when escape routes or time apart from an abuser may be dramatically curtailed.
The guide notes that it is not for employers to solve the problem, but they should enable their employees to access professional support, whether in the form of legal or financial advice, housing support, counselling or arranging childcare. It calls for employers to provide paid leave for those struggling to do their work or who need to access essential services. The guide addresses the need for open workplace cultures to break the silence around domestic abuse and for roles and responsibilities, such as those of HR and line management, to be clear when it comes to providing support.
BEIS launched a review of how employers and the government could better support domestic abuse survivors in the workplace on 9 June 2020. Submissions were required by 9 September 2020 and the review is expected to report by the end of 2020.
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/well-being/supporting-employees-experiencing-domestic-abuse
