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Domestic abuse: is it your business?

CMS Women Webinar

Past event
22 June 2021, 12:00 - 13:00 UTC +00:00

It is a sad fact of life that domestic abuse remains widespread in UK society, with an estimated 2.3 million adults (of whom 1.6 million were women) in England and Wales experiencing domestic abuse in the year ending March 2020. The lockdown restrictions put in place in response to COVID-19 have intensified the abuse, with Refuge reporting a 700% increase in the number of visits to its Helpline website between April and June 2020. 

Despite its prevalence, domestic abuse has often been seen as just that – a domestic issue. However, we are increasingly seeing employers taking an interest in how it impacts their employees, no doubt in recognition of the fact that we don’t leave our home lives at the door of the (virtual or physical) office.  The Government has also recognised that employers can play a part in supporting those affected by domestic abuse; in January 2021, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy published a report looking at how employers can support individuals suffering from domestic abuse.

Join us on 22 June to explore this issue further. We will look at:

  • what domestic abuse is and the dynamics of this;
  • what we can do to support colleagues and friends impacted by domestic abuse; and
  • why employers should view this as a workplace issue and what they can do to support employees affected by domestic abuse.

The event will be chaired by Abbie Harley, Senior Associate in the Employment team at CMS, a member of the CMS Women’s Network and a former chair of a domestic abuse charity. Abbie will be joined by Jemima Lovatt, founder of Thrive, the social enterprise for gender equality. Thrive works with businesses to ensure equality for their workforces, with a particular focus on domestic abuse.

Webinar
  • 22 June

Speakers

Portrait ofAbbie Harley
Abbie Harley
Senior Associate
Edinburgh