Domestic Abuse and workplaces

This House note that domestic abuse involves a pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner; recognises that domestic abuse can have profound long-term effects on survivors and is concerned that is very difficult to speak out about domestic abuse and often those that do are subject to further silencing tactics; further recognises that domestic violence is a workplace issue and that it can affect employment performance and in some cases even mean the abuse is carried out in the workplace; believes that domestic abuse policies form an essential part of a strategy to achieve equal opportunities in the workplace; calls on all employers to ensure workplaces are places of safety for survivors of domestic abuse with measures in place for their protection and an environment fostered where individuals experiencing domestic abuse feel confident that they will be believed, listened to and treated supportively; and calls on the Government to ensure a nationally funded network of domestic violence and abuse support services.