It is never too late to address these issues as long as your client takes steps to do so. The Government has recently made moves to remind employers of their duty to support those affected by domestic abuse in the workplace. In fact, Business Minister Paul Scully has written an open letter to employers offering guidance on how they can support survivors.
In his letter, he emphasises that he is not asking employers to become specialists in handling domestic abuse, nor for colleagues to take on the role of healthcare workers or counsellors. However, colleagues and managers can often be the only people outside the home that survivors talk to each day and they are therefore uniquely placed to help spot signs of abuse. These signs could include an individual becoming more withdrawn than usual, sudden drops in performance or mentioning controlling behaviours in their partner.
Your client can first of all ask the team member why they believe that their colleague is going through domestic abuse in order to determine how to approach the situation. It is advisable for your client to open up communication with the employee in question to allow them to open up about any issues they may be going through, rather than assuming that they are going through domestic abuse regardless of that the team member has said.
Alternatively, your client can implement the following advice from Paul Scully to enable staff going through domestic abuse (including those who are not showing signs) to come forward and seek help:
- Raise awareness: this could be through simply listening to concerns, helping employees to access support, or referring the issue to the right contacts in the organisation.
- Be inclusive: senior leaders in the organisation should look to foster an environment where all workers feel comfortable “being themselves” and talking openly, allowing affected staff to feel able to open up.
- Ask what help is needed: Those going through domestic abuse may need time, space and privacy to make calls and arrangements; they may need their salaries paid into a dedicated bank account; and/or they may need flexibility around working hours and patterns. The best way to find out what would help them most is to ask and be receptive to their replies.
- Advertise support: help for affected staff should be made clear, whether in an employee handbook or on bulletin boards, so that everyone is aware of the support available.
- Involve experts: you client should not hesitate to bring in or speak with specialists who can advise on handling sensitive situations and help staff access existing pathways to specialist support.
- Use free help available: there is a range of excellent free guidance for both employers and employees to support domestic abuse survivors in the workplace, including the Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse (https://www.eida.org.uk) and SafeLives (https://safelives.org.uk).
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