The Coronavirus pandemic has brought domestic abuse to the forefront as, for many, the home has also become the workplace.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued a new report, which sets out the key findings of the review into how victims of domestic abuse can be supported in the workplace and the actions that government will take as a result.

Its assessment of the current situation is as follows.

For individuals, work is integral to economic security, sense of identity and relationships with others and being in work is known to have positive impacts on health and wellbeing.

Lost productivity and absence linked to domestic abuse can mean significant economic losses for individuals and employers. Research by Vodafone and KPMG found that the potential loss of earnings per female victim of abuse is £5,800 each year, stemming from the negative impacts on career progression.

Meanwhile, UK businesses lose £316m in economic output each year as result of work absences related to domestic abuse.

A safe and supportive workplace response can make a real difference to an individual’s journey out of an abusive situation and their longer-term prospects. There are practical steps that employers can take to build awareness, develop and implement policies and procedures as well as signpost to specialist services.

Flexibility to balance work and dealing with the consequences of domestic abuse can be important, but there are a variety of ways in which employers can support victims in the place of work. Working with domestic abuse and victims’ organisations and employers, the government has taken rapid action to raise awareness and support employers. During the Coronavirus pandemic, the government launched the #YouAreNotAlone national awareness campaign, including a COVID-19 employer pack. This gives guidance to employers as to how they can best reassure employees facing domestic abuse that the COVID-19 household isolation instructions do not apply to them.

Last year, the Home Secretary announced £2m in funding to ensure that vital domestic abuse helplines and online services continue to be easily accessible throughout the current pandemic. As well as signposting help, the government continues to work with the domestic abuse sector to ensure that support is available for everyone who needs it, and in response to the challenges that COVID-19 has presented. However, a holistic response to domestic abuse as a workplace issue also looks to build awareness, understanding, skill and drive longer-term culture change.

This review is part of the government’s agenda to raise awareness and build understanding about the devastating impact of domestic abuse on victims and their families. The landmark Domestic Abuse Bill aims to ensure that victims have the confidence to come forward and report their experiences, safe in the knowledge that the state will do everything it can, both to support them and their children and to pursue the abuser. The Bill includes a wide range of measures to better protect and support victims of domestic abuse and their children for the long term.

There are three main themes within the report:

• Raising awareness and understanding of the impacts that domestic abuse can have on individuals and employers;
• Building and sharing best practice among employers;
• The role of employment rights.

Read the guidance at Workplace support for victims of domestic abuse: report from review.