One in 10 people who worked from home in the Covid pandemic experienced domestic abuse, a poll has revealed.
Bright Blue, a liberal conservative think tank, surveyed more than 3,000 people as part of research on the scale of domestic abuse and how to combat it.
Eleven per cent who worked from home said they had experienced “domestic abuse” or “violence” in their home. Only one per cent of people who continued to go into workplaces said the same.
Researchers suggested that the strain of extra time spent at home and the financial and mental impact of lockdown could have played a role.
Bright Blue used the findings to call for annual leave for those who experience domestic abuse, arguing that workers should have the legal right to 10 days of “domestic abuse leave”, with both full and part-time workers able to benefit.
Australia and New Zealand have already adopted a similar move, and the think tank argued that it would help victims of domestic abuse attend court appointments or seek out support. Employees would need to provide their employer with proof, which they can also provide retroactively.
“This proof would be of relatively low administrative burden and include, but not be limited to a letter or email from a support worker or organisation, court records, a letter from a medical professional and a letter or email from the police,” the think tank said.
Mental and financial strain could have triggered abusive behaviour
Phoebe Arslanagic-Wakefield, a senior researcher at Bright Blue who wrote the report, said: “Many employees are likely to continue home working post-pandemic.
“With the pressing, society-wide need to protect victims of domestic abuse, the safeguarding minister Rachel Maclean MP should support the introduction of a right to 10 days of domestic abuse leave for all eligible workers, helping victims of domestic abuse to leave dangerous situations.
“The right to 10 days of domestic abuse leave should also be championed by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – this policy will make it easier for victims to remain in employment and improve the support for victims available in workplaces, as well as awareness of domestic abuse among employers.”
On the work from home polling figures, she said: “Though more research is necessary, the risk of domestic abuse for home workers during the pandemic may have been higher simply because they have spent more time in the home.
“Furthermore, the mental and financial strains on some people caused by the pandemic and lockdowns could potentially have exacerbated or triggered abusive behaviour.”
