Tesco offers paid time to escape domestic abuse, without demanding proof

Tesco employees facing domestic abuse will be able to take paid time away from work to find emergency accommodation, attend court or separate their finances—without having to produce formal evidence of abuse. According to Guardian Business (direct), the supermarket is introducing up to three days of “safe leave”, giving staff time to address urgent personal needs without losing pay.

The move makes Tesco the first supermarket to offer this dedicated paid leave, the report said. The company, Britain’s largest private-sector employer, employs 300,000 people. Its policy allows the time to be used flexibly, including for changing locks and arranging childcare. Those are practical tasks that can become pressing when someone is trying to secure their safety and rebuild their life.

Support beyond time off

Tesco developed the policy with Usdaw, the shopworkers’ union. Managers across the business have also received training to recognise signs of domestic abuse, support affected employees and direct them towards specialist services. The package therefore goes beyond permission to miss work: it also seeks to make managers better able to respond when a colleague needs help.

Emma Taylor, Tesco’s chief people officer, said the business had a responsibility to support employees through exceptionally difficult periods. She described guaranteed safe leave as a way to give people practical help and time without requiring unpaid absence or explanations of deeply personal circumstances. Taylor also said Tesco wanted its decision to encourage other employers across the UK to act.

Tesco’s Emma Taylor said employees should not have to make a choice between keeping their job and being safe.

Daniel Adams, an Usdaw national officer, said the union had long sought workplace support for domestic abuse survivors and welcomed the agreement. Abuse can affect a survivor’s working life, he said, making it important for employers to understand both the problem and the steps available to protect staff. Adams said domestic violence and abuse affected at least one in five women, and called on other employers to introduce comparable measures.

A wider test for workplace policy

Tesco is thought to be the first major British retailer to introduce safe leave, but it is not the first employer to address domestic abuse through workplace policies. According to the report, BP, Vodafone and some local councils have adopted measures such as protected paid leave, emergency accommodation or training to help employees identify signs of abuse. The approaches put workplaces alongside specialist services as a possible source of support.

The scale of the problem remains substantial. Campaign group SafeLives said more than 3 million people experienced some form of domestic abuse in England and Wales last year, with women making up the majority. The source also points to workplace protections in the Domestic Abuse Act, which became law in April 2021, and to the role work can play as a place to seek help.

The next development to watch is a private member’s bill before parliament proposing 10 days of paid leave for domestic abuse victims in England and Wales. For employers, the question is whether Tesco’s agreement with Usdaw prompts wider adoption of dedicated leave while that proposal is considered.