Domestic abuse charity WHAG invites employers to join their new campaign to prevent the negative impact of domestic abuse on the workplace. Despite being seen as an “at-home” problem, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health claimed that domestic abuse was the leading cause of death of women in the workplace.
According to the Equality Human Rights Commission, domestic abuse costs businesses approximately £2.7 billion a year. It reported that 75% of women who experience domestic abuse are targeted at their place of work. This ranges from receiving harassing phone calls to abusive partners committing physical assault at the office.
Statistically, at least 10% of employees are likely to be victims of domestic abuse each year, with more than 20% of employed women having to take time off work, costing millions per year to businesses due to absenteeism, loss of productivity and other factors.
Domestic abuse does not just affect women. It affects all genders with Mankind reporting that 757,000 men experienced domestic abuse in 2020. Additional risks and barriers are also present for LGBT+ and BAME communities.
With the rise of hybrid and work-from-home models due to the pandemic, the safety of the workplace has been reduced for many victims. Furthermore, the Business In The Community network has reported that domestic abuse incidents have risen since the increase of hybrid working.
WHAG’s objective is that the campaign will reduce domestic abuse through the implementation of new practices and policies. This is similar to the maternity leave policy, to support and protect employees. Practices include awareness training for employees and training for managers and HR teams to handle instances of disclosure.
WHAG encourages local organisations and groups to get involved. Several businesses have already signed up as allies including Online4Baby and H Bell and Sons (Rochdale) Ltd.
Kirsty Rhodes, WHAG’s CEO shared “We are delighted to launch the Supportive Employers Campaign and are really pleased that businesses have already pledged to raise awareness and support their employees. We hope this will make a difference in supporting employees to come forward and employers to support their staff.”.
To join the campaign and become an ally, contact Marinah Mustapha on 01706 298 222 or log on to www.whag.info.