Employee Benefits poll: Almost three in 10 (29%) employers do not currently offer their employees dedicated domestic abuse support, but are reviewing their policies.
More than one-fifth (22%) of respondents to an online survey conducted by Employee Benefits earlier this month admitted that they do not offer dedicated support of this kind and have no plans to introduce it.
Two in 10 (21%) said that they do offer support in the form of existing and general benefits signposted in dedicated communications. The same percentage admitted that they do not provide their staff with this type of support, but have benefits they can use in these circumstances, while 8% answered that they have benefits specifically communicated as domestic abuse support.
Last week, Redbridge Council in the London Borough of Redbridge signed trade union GMB’s Work to Stop Domestic Abuse Charter. According to the council, this highlighted its responsibility to support its workers through new or difficult periods in their lives, and will help to create an understanding and effective workplace policy to deal with the impact of domestic abuse.
Councillor Jas Athwal, leader of Redbridge Council, said: “Redbridge Council is committed to tackling domestic violence and supporting people experiencing abuse, not only around the borough but also within our organisation. We want to support our colleagues experiencing domestic abuse as best we can by providing access to support services and information confidentially.
In addition, insurance firm Axa UK introduced a domestic abuse policy earlier this month for its approximately 10,000 members of staff, which includes up to five days of paid leave, and RSA Insurance launched a similar policy last month to support its 4,500 employees, including paid leave for those who need to deal with issues at home.
Take part in our next poll: Is your organisation giving staff a pay rise or a one-off payment to combat the rising cost of living?
