Feature
Sara Carnegie, Director of Legal Projects at the International Bar Association discusses Domestic Abuse – why should your employer take action?
T
he home is not a safe place for everyone. The requirement to work from home has led to a worldwide increase in reports of domestic abuse. A global pandemic of a different kind, often shunted inaccurately under the broader remit of gender-based violence, has developed exponentially during 2020. The number of calls to the UK National Domestic Abuse Helpline run by Refuge, increased by 66% during the crisis.1 The increase in those seeking support is not limited to victims. A helpline for those trying to change their behaviour has received 25% more calls since lockdown began. 2
The workplace can be a refuge and escape route, and its recent enforced absence sorely felt. Provision of support varies enormously between jurisdictions and organisations in both the public and private sector, but Covid 19 has created a unique set of circumstances that necessitate greater proactivity in our efforts to address the issue. Is it foreseeable that we might see litigation brought about by an employer’s failure to address health and safety where the workplace is home and the safety pertains to domestic abuse? No one is expecting an employer to solve the problem, but raising awareness and providing meaningful and visible support structures can create a lifeline.
Domestic abuse does not respect race, class or gender. Nor is it a question of intelligence. It can occur between couples, or within the wider family unit and the damage is not always physically evident. In addition to physical violence, it includes, ‘any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour…. This can encompass, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse: psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional.’3
The International Bar Association brought together global experts to discuss what the workplace should do and why, in a recent webinar.4 Our panellists discussed in-house, private and public sector legal workplaces around the world, addressing cultural and legislative barriers to proactive support, in addition to positive initiatives rolled out within their organisation. Elizabeth Filkin, chair of the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) presented the rationale for employers to engage; in addition to the primary concern of humanity and ethics, the cost to UK business is estimated at £1.9bn due to decreased productivity, time off work, lost wages and sick pay.5
The chances are high that you are working in an organisation where someone is suffering or boiling over. However, what does this have to do with employers – after all, domestic issues are private, aren’t they?
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