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Domestic Violence and the Workplace

Domestic Violence and the Workplace. Scarlet Harris TUC Women’s Equality Officer. Impact of DV on women. In the UK, in any one year, more than 20% of employed women take time off work because of domestic abuse, and 2% lose their jobs as a direct result of the abuse.

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Domestic Violence and the Workplace

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  1. Domestic Violence and the Workplace Scarlet Harris TUC Women’s Equality Officer

  2. Impact of DV on women • In the UK, in any one year, more than 20% of employed women take time off work because of domestic abuse, and 2% lose their jobs as a direct result of the abuse. • A Home Office report in 2009 found that 20% of victims of domestic abuse had to take a month or more off work in the previous year due to the abuse. • Other research has found that 56% of abused women arrive late for work at least five times a month and 53% miss at least three days of work a month.

  3. The role of unions • For those suffering abuse at home, the workplace can be a place of refuge and safety and a friendly union rep often is the first port of call when seeking help. • Reps can support individual members in dealing with management and seeking time off work. • Unions also have a role in bargaining for better workplace policies on domestic violence.

  4. TUC Survey • TUC launched a survey on the UN Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25th November) 2013 and closed on 1st February 2014. • The survey was circulated electronically to union equality officers, women’s officers, Health and Safety officers, and the TUC Women’s Committee. It was also sent out to Women’s Aid’s networks. • Survey received over 3,000 responses

  5. Key findings • The survey was open to all. • Over forty per cent of respondents had experienced domestic violence themselves. • Nearly twenty per cent knew someone who had experienced domestic violence. • 99% of respondents felt that DV had an impact on the work lives of employees. • Of those who had experienced domestic violence, over forty per cent said it had affected their ability to get to work.

  6. DV can be a barrier to getting to work

  7. Domestic violence often continues in the workplace • Over one in ten (12.6%) of those who experienced domestic violence reported that the violence continued in the work place. • In the majority of instances (81%) this was through harassing or abusive emails or phone calls. • For nearly half of those who reported that the abuse continued at work, the abuse took the form of their partner turning up at their workplace or stalking them outside their workplace.

  8. DV affects work performance

  9. Perpetrators of DV may work in same workplace

  10. DV affects colleagues too

  11. Survivors of DV rarely disclose at work

  12. Victims are most likely to disclose to work friends and managers

  13. Disclosure doesn’t always lead to help

  14. There is much more that employers can do to support victims of DV

  15. What are unions doing? • Monitoring/gathering data • Training • Negotiating Domestic Violence policies • Publicising “zero tolerance” campaigns in the workplace/on noticeboards And elsewhere… • In Australia unions have negotiated 20 days paid leave for DV

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