Pictured l-r: Alex Davies-Jones, Minister for Violence Against Women and Girls, Deborah Jones, Resolute Women’s Services, Deborah Alderson, Addressing Domestic Abuse CIC and Prisons Minister, Sir James Timpson OBE*.
“Business owners have a vital role to play in creating safer communities. Domestic abuse impacts workplaces, staff, customers, and the wider economy. That’s why we’re pleased to share this important message from Deborah Alderson, Co-Managing Director of Addressing Domestic Abuse CIC, an organisation working tirelessly to help employers recognise the signs of domestic abuse and respond effectively.” Janice Ross MBE, TEDCO Business Support
Domestic Abuse Is a Workplace Issue – Be Part of the Solution
Domestic abuse doesn’t stay at home. It walks into the workplace with your employees, affecting their wellbeing, productivity, and safety. And yet, many business owners still see it as a private issue — something outside their remit. At Addressing Domestic Abuse CIC (ADA), we’re working to change that.
ADA is a community interest company with a mission to transform how society responds to domestic abuse. That includes supporting business owners to recognise the signs, respond safely, and create cultures where abuse is not ignored or normalised.
Domestic Abuse can take many forms and is often misunderstood
One of the most searched questions online last month was: “Can domestic violence be verbal?” The answer is unequivocally yes.
Verbal abuse – including belittling, gaslighting, threats, and controlling language, is a form of psychological harm. It can erode a person’s confidence, autonomy, and mental health over time. In the workplace, this might show up in subtle ways: an employee saying, “He says I’m too stupid to be promoted,” or “She checks my phone every hour to see who I’ve spoken to.”
These comments are often brushed off as jokes or personal issues. But they’re red flags. And when employers are equipped to spot them, they can make a real difference.
Domestic abuse is also physical and sexual violence, financial and economic abuse, violent and threatening behaviour and other psychological and emotional abuse such as gaslighting. The most dangerous time for a victim is usually after they have left an abuser – often referred to as post-separation abuse – this is when the most domestic homicides and domestic abuse related suicides occur.
The Cost to Business Is Real
Domestic abuse costs UK businesses an estimated £1.9 billion a year in lost productivity, absenteeism, and staff turnover. Survivors may struggle to concentrate, miss work due to injuries or court dates, or leave jobs to escape abusers who know their routines.
By ignoring domestic abuse, businesses risk not only their staff’s wellbeing but also feel the cost of their valuable staff not being able to maximise their worth.
What Can Employers Do?
Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, employers in the UK have a legal duty of care toward their employees. This means they are expected to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of staff — and that includes responding appropriately to domestic abuse. At ADA, we help organisations take practical, meaningful steps to support their teams and customers. Here’s how:
- Policy Development
ADA works with HR teams and managers to create domestic abuse policies that are clear, compassionate, and actionable. These policies help staff know what support is available and give managers confidence in responding appropriately. - Staff Training
ADA’s training sessions help employees and leaders understand the dynamics of abuse, recognise signs (including verbal and psychological abuse), and respond safely. We tailor sessions to different sectors, from corporate to frontline services. - Culture Change
We support organisations to build cultures of openness and safety. That includes embedding trauma-informed practices, offering flexible working for survivors, and ensuring staff know where to turn for help. - Customer Safeguarding
For customer-facing businesses, we offer guidance on how to spot signs of abuse in clients and respond ethically and effectively.
Why It Matters
Supporting employees affected by domestic abuse isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s a smart business decision. It improves retention, reduces absenteeism, and builds a reputation for care and responsibility. But more than that, it’s a chance to be part of a wider societal shift. When businesses take a stand, they help break the silence around abuse. They show survivors they are not alone and they help build a world where abuse is no longer tolerated.
How you can be part of the solution
If you’re a business owner, manager, or HR professional, ask yourself:
- Do we have a domestic abuse policy?
- Would our staff know how to respond if a colleague disclosed abuse?
- Are we confident we’d spot the signs of abuse?
If the answer is no, we’re here to help. At Addressing Domestic Abuse CIC, we believe every organisation has a role to play in ending abuse. Whether you’re a small business or a national employer, your actions matter. Find out more at the Addressing Domestic Abuse website.
As a supporter of the White Ribbon Campaign, TEDCO stands alongside businesses and community partners to challenge abuse and promote cultures of respect and safety. Joining the White Ribbon Campaign is more than a pledge — it’s a promise to take action. We encourage every business owner to consider what steps they can take to protect and support their teams. Together, we can make workplaces part of the solution and help build a future where abuse is never tolerated.
*The story behind the Westminster Visit: Deborah Alderson was invited to Westminster recently, working in partnership with Deborah Jones, CEO at Resolute Women’s Services. They presented a proposal to Prisons Minister, Sir James Timpson OBE and Alex Davies-Jones, Minister for Violence Against Women and Girls, to implement use of a Domestic Abuse Proximity System to keep victims of domestic abuse safe. If adopted, this will save lives, prevent unnecessary harm and have a profound impact on the mental health of victims and survivors as well as providing an effective method of safely managing perpetrators in the community. To hear more about the proximity system, listen to the Resolute Podcast by clicking on this link – Westminster follow up podcast.
Deborah Alderson is a nationally recognised policing leader with specialist expertise in domestic abuse and safeguarding. During her 30 year career with Northumbria Police, she was Head of Safeguarding, Public Protection and Criminal Justice, where she led a wide-ranging portfolio focused on preventing harm, protecting the vulnerable, and driving innovation in multi-agency responses.
Deborah was the strategic lead behind the Multi-Agency Tasking and Coordination (MATAC) model – a nationally recognised and adopted system that identifies and disrupts the most harmful and serial domestic abuse perpetrators. Her commitment to partnership working has seen her develop effective collaborations across policing, housing, probation, healthcare, and the voluntary sector. She has championed a whole-systems approach to tackling domestic abuse and protecting children and vulnerable adults and led on implementation of Operation Encompass: The Next Steps, designing and implementing programmes of education for children about domestic abuse and healthy relationships. Debs was also commended by the National Police Chief’s Council for her work on Violence Against Women and Girls in development of a national strategy and delivery plan.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions to policing and public protection, Deborah has received several accolades, including numerous Commendations for innovation in safeguarding, excellence in leadership and sustained work with the LGBTQ+ community.