Details on the recently presented bill which allows employees days off to deal with issues relating to domestic abuse or violence.
On 7 January 2025, a Labour MP presented a private member’s bill into Parliament proposing to create a right for employees to have up to ten days’ paid “safe leave” [per year] to deal with issues relating to domestic abuse or violence.
Alex McIntyre’s Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill was, he has said, “intended to start a conversation in workplaces up and down the country about making workplaces safer place for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and violence” and some media coverage this week suggests that this has been achieved. He also argued that introducing this right could be “an important part” in the Government’s “mission to halve violence against women and girls”. However, the Government, which would need to support the bill for it to have a realistic prospect of becoming law, announced only last September that it did not intend to introduce a specific right to paid leave. Nevertheless, the bill received sufficient support in Parliament today to proceed to the next stage; and so will be debated at a second reading on June 20, 2025. At that point, we will have seen the detail of the bill and should know whether the Government intends to take it further.
Even if this specific law is not introduced, the current focus on violence and abuse means that these issues are increasingly in the consciousness of employers, some of whom are introducing domestic abuse policies.
Whilst the majority of employers currently do not afford employees a separate right to paid time off for domestic abuse, a domestic abuse policy can typically provide a framework for supporting staff whilst they dealing with such difficult personal circumstances and cover many of the practical considerations an employer needs to take into account to provide that support effectively. For example, training for staff and particularly managers to be alert to possible signs of domestic abuse, guidance and support on how to deal with workplace issues which may arise as a result (such as lateness, absence or performance issues), and measures to ensure the employee’s privacy/confidentiality is protected appropriately.
Employers wishing to provide such support for their staff should consider the following steps:
Introduce or update policies and procedures – including:
- Definitions of various forms of domestic abuse, key terminology, recognition of its impact on employees and a clear commitment to support employees together with details of the employer’s channels / contacts for seeking support
- Information on practical steps the employer may take to support the individual (including any paid / unpaid leave that may be authorised) and how employees access this; and
- Specific procedures for maintaining confidentiality and ensuring employees feel safe when disclosing their situation
Training for managers and HR staff - This training should focus on
- How to identify signs of domestic abuse and the right way to respond to a disclosure
- The legal rights and protections available
- How to handle disclosures and / or requests for support related to domestic abuse in a sensitive and empathetic manner; and
- The importance of maintaining confidentiality and protecting the employee’s dignity throughout the process
Provide or signpost to resources and support service – such as:
- Employee assistance programs (EAPs) that offer counselling or support services
- Information on local charities or helplines for victims of domestic violence; and/or
- Possible referral services to legal support or safe housing services
For further information please contact our employment solicitors.
