Tesco has become the first supermarket to introduce paid “safe leave” for victims of domestic abuse, giving staff dedicated time to access support, secure their safety and take steps to move on with their lives. The UK’s largest private-sector employer is offering up to three days of paid leave which can be taken flexibly for activities such as attending court hearings, arranging emergency accommodation, changing locks, securing childcare or separating finances. Managers across the business, which employs 300,000 people, have also been trained to spot the signs of domestic abuse, support those affected and flag them to specialist services.
Under the new policy, which was developed in partnership with the shopworkers’ union Usdaw, Tesco will not ask those suffering abuse to provide formal evidence to gain access to the special leave. Tesco is thought to be the first big British retailer to introduce safe leave, but similar policies, such as protected paid leave, emergency accommodation and training staff to spot the signs of domestic abuse, have been enacted at other UK companies, including BP and Vodafone, as well as some local councils. Daniel Adams, an Usdaw national officer, said domestic violence and abuse affected the lives of at least one in five women, and he urged other employers to introduce similar support.
Domestic abuse often has an impact on the working lives of survivors, and it is important that employers understand this and the actions they can take to support and protect them,” he said. That needs to change.” Emma Taylor, the chief people officer at Tesco, said: “We believe we have a responsibility to support colleagues in what are likely to be some of the most challenging moments in their lives. No one should have to choose between their job and their safety.” More than 3 million people suffered some form of domestic abuse in England and Wales last year, most of whom were women, according to the campaign group SafeLives.
It says eight women a month are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales, based on 2023 data. There was a sharp increase in abuse incidents during the pandemic lockdowns as victims were trapped at home with perpetrators. The permanent shift to working from home since then is seen to have made some people more vulnerable.
The Domestic Abuse Act, which became law in April 2021, includes workplace protection for domestic abuse victims, who can see their place of work as somewhere to seek help and support. A private member’s bill currently before parliament proposes granting 10 days of paid leave for domestic abuse victims in England and Wales to give them time to deal with the practical and emotional steps. In 2020, Northern Ireland passed legislation guaranteeing domestic abuse victims 10 days’ paid leave, and similar laws exist in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines.
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