As part of the #youarenotalone campaign UK government has issued an Employer Domestic Abuse Pack. The pack provides important and useful guidance for employers on hw to support their staff. You can access the pack using the below link.
As an employer, you can play an important role in reassuring employees that there is help and support available, including online support, helplines, refuges and local support services. The police also continue to respond to calls relating to domestic abuse.
Employers can be a lifeline for those living with domestic abuse. As a manager or a colleague, you can play an important role in reassuring employees that they are not alone and there is help and support available. You should encourage staff to look out for one another and reassure employees that if they are facing domestic abuse, you are willing to support them. We have included guidance on the next page.
The Home Office has recently launched a campaign to raise awareness that support is still available to domestic abuse victims, despite the COVID-19 ‘stay at home’ guidance. People who are affected by domestic abuse may be harder to reach at this time and we really need everyone to get behind the campaign and raise awareness of this important message.
You can signpost employees to guidance on gov.uk, which includes a list of organisations that can provide help and advice on domestic abuse. This list includes organisations that can provide support in other languages and to those living with disabilities.
It is also important that we continue to send out a clear message that there is no excuse for abuse. If an employee is worried about the impact of their own behaviour on others, there is an anonymous and confidential helpline listed. This helpline is also open to friends, family, community members and professionals who are concerned about someone they know.
