Domestic abuse can affect anyone, regardless of their gender identity, sex, age, race, disability, sexual orientation, level of seniority within the workplace, or background.
Controlling behaviour can be a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by:
Coercive behaviour is an act, or a pattern of acts, of:
to harm, punish, or frighten the victim.
Coercive or controlling behaviour became a criminal offence in 2015 under Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act. This section criminalises controlling or coercive behaviour in intimate or family relationships, recognising its severe impact on victims. The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment
Post-separation abuse is domestic abuse that takes place after a relationship has ended. Controlling or coercive behaviour after a relationship ends and that took place after 5 April 2023 is a criminal offence – the perpetrator and employee no longer have to be in a relationship or living together when the behaviour occurred. Signs that an employee may be experiencing post-separation abuse can include their perpetrator showing up to the workplace or to staff social events unexpectedly.
Economic (including financial) abuse means any behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on an individual’s ability to acquire, use or maintain money or other property or obtain goods or services. In the workplace, for example, this could amount to controlling working hours or someone’s ability to participate in work-related activities; making the victim late for work or controlling their travel to or from work; and/or isolating the victim from colleagues.
Technology-facilitated abuse involves the use of technology to perpetrate domestic abuse and has become increasingly common. Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets can be misused to stalk, harass, impersonate, and threaten victims. The growing use of internet-connected home devices (such as smart speakers) may also provide perpetrators with a wider and more sophisticated range of tools to track and harm their victims. Employers should remain vigilant about the different forms of technology that employees have access to within the workplace or when they are working from home, which could be targeted by a perpetrator and prevent the employee from carrying out their role effectively. In the workplace, some examples of technology-facilitated abuse include, hacking into, monitoring, or controlling email accounts, coercing the victim to share their passwords, limiting or controlling access to the internet or other equipment, or using GPS locators on items such as phones and computers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now being used as a tool to perpetrate domestic abuse. This includes:
- Deepfake abuse: AI-generated sexual or compromising images may be used to blackmail, humiliate, and coerce.
- Impersonation & harassment: Chatbots and voice generators can mimic victims or loved ones to manipulate, threaten, or confuse.
- Reputation attacks: AI tools make it easier to create fake messages, evidence, or social media posts to discredit victims. In the workplace, some examples could be threatening to send images to colleagues or creating fake reviews which discredit the victim.
Spiritual abuse, which is characterised by a systematic pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour, which may be perpetrated (but not exclusively) in a religious context
The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), also known as “Clare’s Law”, enables the police to disclose information to a victim or potential victim of domestic abuse about their partner’s or ex-partner’s previous abusive or violent offending. The aim of this law is to give individuals information regarding their current or ex-partner as to whether they have a history of violence and abusive offending that may pose a risk.
It is a good idea to use a ‘quiet area’ within the building for confidential conversations when someone wishes to disclose private, sensitive information. This may not always be possible depending on the size of the premises so a private off-site location may be needed.
When speaking with an employee who is disclosing domestic abuse you should:
If an employee has made a disclosure of domestic abuse, asking the following questions can help to ensure an appropriate safety plan is put in place:
It is important to remember that domestic abuse situations can change/escalate quickly, so setting regular meetings to review these questions is beneficial.
Have due regard to other members of the workforce who may be triggered by a colleague’s disclosure of abuse and offer appropriate support.
It may not be possible or appropriate to extend unlimited paid or unpaid leave to an employees experiencing domestic abuse, buut we will look at each case individually and create a work plan that meets the needs of both parties. This could include temporary adjustments to the employee’s work patterns, hours or duties, as well as temporary flexible working arrangements outside of those offered as part of the Referenceline's formal flexible working policy. For example, it might be that the employee can have a shorter lunch break to make up any required absences i.e., for counselling or legal appointments.
An employee may need to use sick leave in the event they have sustained injuries requiring time off, or they are struggling with their personal mental health.
It is important to remember that:
The employer may also be able to help establish safe communication channels by providing a new work email address or phone number, for example.
These are some other points to consider:
Having access to funds can be crucial when escaping from domestic abuse. If the employee consents, involving an appointed member of the payroll team may allow for more flexibility in assisting the employee, for example by allowing for:
It is essential that those with management responsibilities keep a written record of conversations with employees about domestic abuse, any incidents within the workplace and any workplace adjustments which have been made. These may be called upon as evidence in a civil or criminal court. These records need to be clear, accurate and should give dates, times, and locations. They should be factual and not include assumptions or the views of the person making the record. Witnesses to incidents related to the domestic abuse should also be recorded.
Under data protection law, the employee has the right to view all records relating to them, so ensure that all notes are clearly factual and do not contain opinions or additional information not disclosed in the meeting(s). Employers should ensure that records comply with the requirements of the UK GDPR. Some details are likely to amount to special categories data, to which additional requirements apply.
People who have experienced a traumatic event can experience long-term impacts. Survivors of domestic abuse, and those who support them, should understand that healing takes time. Trauma can be triggered long after an event. Employees could need support when situations arise in the future.
Examples of events that may trigger trauma include:
The effects of trauma can vary widely. A survivor may need to process their thoughts at any time. Symptoms of trauma can include:
Offering reassurance when your employee needs it, demonstrating empathy when communicating with them, and making supportive workplace adjustments will all help to increase the employee’s sense of security and safety.
Examples of workplace adjustments include:
As well as helping them to work comfortably, these measures will also help to keep the employee in work, which may even aid their recovery.
