Domestic Abuse Bill proposes 10 days paid leave for victims

20 June 2025

The Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill is a Private Members Bill, which is set for its second reading in Parliament on 20 June 2025.

The Bill will provide 10 days of paid “safe leave” annually for victims and survivors of domestic abuse, it follows similar legislation which is in force in Northern Ireland, and it is anticipated that the leave would allow employees paid time off to deal with the practical and emotional steps of being a victim or survivor of domestic abuse.

At this stage it is unclear whether the Bill will be supported by the Government and therefore become law, but in any event having policies and procedures in place that can assist employees should they find themselves in a domestic abuse situation is good practice.

Some practical steps employers can take in considering the way in which to support its employees dealing with such situation is to ensure managers look out for signs of domestic abuse and have knowledge of how to offer support should a situation arise, sign post support helplines in and around the workplace and consider having a domestic abuse policy which sets out the company’s approach to dealing with issues relating to domestic abuse.

If you’re unsure whether your current workplace policies address domestic abuse appropriately, now is the time to act. Get in touch with our Employment team to review or develop your Domestic Abuse Policy today.

This article was written by Gabrielle Scriven,