Impact on your business or organisation

An astonishing 75% of people experiencing domestic abuse and related stalking and harassment will be targeted at their place of work because the abuser knows they will be there.

Domestic abuse also has implications for a business’s own health. In the UK, The Home Office report into the Social and Economic Costs of Domestic Abuse estimates, the cost of domestic violence to the economy at £14 billion per year. An estimated £316m per year is lost just due to the work absences related to domestic abuse (KPMG and Vodafone, 2019)

The financial impact includes lower productivity, lost wages and even lost jobs as a result of absenteeism or lateness, as well as increased claims against company insurance and higher premiums. According to a *UK Home Office study, some 21% of women take time off work as a direct result of abuse due to: numerous appointments; court hearings; medical concerns; issues with their children. For nearly a quarter of those, the longest absence was more than a week.

Ending a dangerously abusive relationship without the right support can result in an escalation and the workplace is a prime place for this to occur. There have been many high profile cases in the media such as Clare Bernal and Hollie Gazzard which highlight this.