Let's Talk About Domestic Abuse

Last night Fiona Cannon OBE, Diversity and Inclusion Director at Lloyds Banking Group and a member of Business in the Community's Wellbeing Leadership Team, hosted a dinner to discuss the topic of domestic abuse. The twenty business leaders were extremely engaged, which is encouraging because domestic abuse is still in the foothills, a deeply stigmatised topic and probably the last workplace taboo.

The scale of the challenge is huge. Statistically domestic abuse is a risk for every employer with 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men suffering from domestic abuse in their lifetime. 86% of HR leads agree that employers have a duty of care for employees experiencing domestic abuse, yet only 5% of organisations have specific policies or guidelines on the issue. There is currently less than 1% of employee disclosure which suggests that not enough employees feel confident that they will be supported. Although the human cost is incalculable, there is also a compelling business case which is estimated at ￡1.9 billion a year due to decreased productivity, time off work, lost wages and sick pay.

The good news is that domestic abuse is finally receiving more visibility with both EastEnders and Coronation Street currently running story lines on the topic. There is also the anticipation of the introduction of the new Domestic Abuse Bill which had its' first reading in Parliament last July.

The stigma that surrounds domestic abuse is similar to where mental health was a decade ago. The rise of mental health awareness has played a major part in opening the door for employers to finally have open discussions about domestic abuse.

Check out Business in the Community and Public Health England's Domestic Abuse Toolkit for Employers https://www.bitc.org.uk/toolkit/domestic-abuse-toolkit/