Role of the Employer
Employer duties
Your actions as an employer can change, and potentially save, someone's life
Employers have a duty to safeguard the wellbeing of their staff. The statutory guidance accompanying the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 makes clear that employers should consider the impact of domestic abuse on their employees as part of their duty of care.
Research in 2019 by the Vodafone Foundation¹ found that only 5% of employers had introduced a specific policy or guideline on the issue. Progress has been made since then; with more employers joining EIDA and 65% now reporting that they have a domestic abuse policy (EIDA member survey: 2025).
Domestic abuse all too often follows a victim-survivor into the workplace
Over one in ten of those who experience domestic abuse report that the abuse continues in the workplace; in 81% of cases this is through abusive emails or phone calls²
47% of those experiencing domestic abuse say that the perpetrator turned up at their workplace or stalked them outside their place of work²
In a 2014 report, 16% of those who had experienced domestic abuse said that the perpetrator worked in the same place as they did³
Domestic abuse is a workplace issue
Even when the perpetrator does not enter the workplace or pursue the victim at work, domestic abuse nearly always impacts the victim-survivor’s productivity and ability to work:
- Nearly 9 out of 10 workers experiencing domestic abuse said it impacted their performance at work³
- Over half of those experiencing domestic abuse have to take time off work as a result of abuse and nearly half were late to work³
- Of those who had experienced domestic abuse, over 40% said it had affected their ability to get to work³
- Over one in five working women have taken time off work because of domestic abuse and one in fifty women lose their jobs as a consequence of experiencing domestic abuse³
Nobody should lose their ability to work as a result of experiencing domestic abuse. Yet unfortunately the impact is not limited to the victim-survivor of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse usually also has an adverse impact on the morale of other employees and on an organisation’s image and reputation:
Over a quarter of workers had been threatened or harmed by the person abusing a colleague, according to a 2014 report³
90% of those experiencing domestic abuse said it had created conflict and tension with their colleagues³
There’s a clear financial impact too, with an estimated £17 billion⁴ lost to businesses each year through decreased productivity and time off work as a result of domestic abuse.
The challenge is that domestic abuse is complex, can be hard to identify and there is still a negative stigma around it.
That’s where EIDA can help. We offer the latest resources, best practice and practical support to help employers to support their people and fulfil their duty of care.
