‘No-one should have to choose between their wages and their safety’.
Hollie Gazzard Trust is proud to support the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill
After 20 year old Hollie Gazzard was murdered by her abusive and jealous ex-partner in 2014, her family set up Hollie Gazzard Trust to do everything possible to prevent this from happening to others.
11 years after the Trust was founded by Hollie’s family, we know that tackling domestic abuse requires a society wide approach informed by an effective adequately funded strategy covering public services, communities and workplaces.
We’re helping employers across the country achieve best practice when it comes to protecting their people. We know that employers who train staff about how to respond to domestic abuse and provide supportive environments for victim survivors are repaid by increased levels of staff retention and outputs and loyalty. But we want all domestic abuse victims to work in environments where employers understand the pressures they face and respond accordingly.
That’s why Hollie Gazzard Trust is proud to support Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre who is trying to change the law so domestic abuse victims are entitled to 10 days paid leave from work to make arrangements to keep themselves and their families safe. No-one should have to choose between their wages and their safety. Everyone has a responsibility to keep people safe.
MP Alex McIntyre said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to have the support of the Hollie Gazzard Trust on this incredibly important piece of legislation. There are far too many survivors of domestic abuse in Gloucester and across the country who find themselves worrying about their financial and employment security on top of everything else.
“My hope is that the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill would give survivors a sense of security at work whilst they deal with some of the complex and distressing results of domestic abuse. I’m really pleased that the Hollie Gazzard Trust have joined me in discussions with employers, unions, training organisations and other charities to explore how we can make this Bill work in practice.”
We know from listening to victims of domestic abuse, that having a supportive employer can make all the difference in a desperate situation. Here’s what some have told us:
“When I was going through my own experience, I was fortunate to be working on the bank at the hospital, which gave me a bit more flexibility. Even so, having access to something like Safe Leave at the time would have lifted a huge weight off my shoulders — just knowing I had that space to focus on the emotional and practical steps of leaving safely without worrying about work or income. This Bill could be the difference between someone feeling trapped and someone finding a way out”. Hannah
“It is so easy to hide domestic abuse. I did for 30 years and no one suspected cause they didn’t understand and I didn’t feel able to tell anyone because I blamed myself for so long. From my personal experience I have lost a lot of money from having to go to court because I had to take time off. The financial pressure and stress of what work thought about me made a really difficult time even worse.” Sue
“I recall feeling so anxious about not being able to work due to the financial implications of this. As such, I continued working which was so hard & exhausting when trying to manage everything else. I absolutely feel that this is a step forward as a way to support victims & would have eased the pressure a lot.” Em
At Hollie Gazzard Trust, we prioritise victim safety but also understand the financial pressures faced by businesses. We want to continue to support good employers who are already doing their best to help domestic abuse victims. We urge all employers to engage with the consultation process around this bill to make sure it progresses to legislation that works for everyone.
The Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill is currently going through UK parliament. If you would like to support it, please contact your own local MP and tell them why you think it’s important. Find out more about the work of Hollie Gazzard Trust here: www.holliegazzard.org