Covid 19 and Domestic Violence and Abuse - what you can and can't do

Vodafone launched a Global Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) Policy in 2019, offering 10 days paid leave. Furthermore, support for employees is available via employee assistance programme, specialised organisations or apps against abuse. This policy was launched after a research, commissioned by the Vodafone foundation and Opinium, showed that 37% of working people have experienced domestic abuse. With Covid 19, data in some countries indicate an increase in DVA due to the impact of working from home. Therefore, this article, based on the toolkit created by Dr. Jane Pillinger, Independent Gender Expert (link see below), shall support those impacted, victims and line managers or colleagues, through sharing guidance and relevant hotlines. 

The feeling of belonging and support has never been as important as today. As line manager or colleague, there are certain things that you can do, however, there are limitations as well. If you feel that something is not right or someone discloses to you, these steps will hopefully support you in your role.

Recognise: have you recognised strong behavioural change, e.g. lack of engagement, confusion, anxiety when the phone rings, patterns of coming very late to work? These indicators do not have to be a sign of DVA but could be. DVA has multiple facets, e.g. hiding the car keys, using childcare responsibilities, or ensuring a person isolated and may not meet her/his friends (see image). You are not an expert but you can be there to listen and give practical help and suggestions. Seek advice from specialised organisations if you feel insecure on what to do. Balance the need for confidentiality with the ‘duty of care’ your organisation has for the safety of all employees. Respect person’s decision to not disclose and respond in a non-judgemental way.

Respond: you cannot rescue a person or be responsible to change the private life. Therefore, focus on addressing work-related problems in a supportive and non-judgmental way. Know what your organisation offers in this case, e.g. Vodafone offers 10 days paid safe leave, and employee assistance programme and contact of expert organisations and services. Beside outlining the policy, as manager, take the advantage of the opportunity you have in offering flexible working time, change in shifts or temporary reduction in work tasks and responsibilities. Most of all, ask the person what she/he needs in this situation, as every situation is very different.

Refer: there is only so much you can do as line manager. Therefore, you can refer to reach out to the employee assistance hotline or other organisations that are specialised in this field for confidential advice and specialist counselling. These organisations can support the victim in various ways, e.g. with safe housing, legal advice or advice on protection. Below are some UK supporting lines, there will be other ones in your country. You can suggest to download apps against abuse, e.g. the BrightSky App for further resources and support. This app allows the victim to capture incidents in a confidential and way and seek further support.

Support lines: Vodafone Employee Assistance programme 0800 243 458. Further support lines for women: Women’s Aid and Refuge on 0808 2000 247. For men: ManKind on 01823 334 244. For LGBT+: Galop on 0800 999 5428.

Overall, safety and protection is a human rights issue. We need to ensure we protect our employees with the support we can give. Again, 37% will experience some form of DVA in their lives and it is important to support our colleagues in good but also challenging times. It is the right thing to do and will increase trust and engagement of your people in you and the organisation.

The toolkit is available here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cd83ed84d871178f0307100/t/5ce6640d0d9297b48f5f0da5/1558602776101/vodafone-foundation-toolkit-on-domestic-violence-at-work-recognise-respond-refer.pdf