Emergency accommodation, financial support and additional leave among initiatives
Dentons has launched set out a new policy to help lawyers and staff experiencing domestic abuse, offering a range of practical and confidential support measures.
Developed in consultation with the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA), the support package is available to all Dentons employees across the UK, Ireland, and the Middle East. It includes options such as redirecting salaries to safe bank accounts and other forms of financial assistance, providing emergency accommodation, and making adjustments to working patterns, contact details, and technology to enhance personal safety.
The firm has also announced that employees affected by domestic abuse will be entitled to up to ten additional days of paid leave to attend appointments, police interviews, or other related commitments.
The move follows similar support initiatives introduced by firms such as Linklaters, Hogan Lovells and Fieldfisher.
Dentons said it recognises that workplaces can often serve as a “safe haven” for those affected by domestic abuse and aims to make work a source of proactive and confidential support.
This sits alongside the firm’s existing pro bono partnership with the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV), through which Dentons lawyers assist clients in obtaining non-molestation orders to protect them from abusers.
Claire England, head of responsible business at Dentons, said:
“Introducing this policy is the latest initiative in our broader, long-standing commitment to support colleagues during challenging periods in their lives. We understand that the policy alone cannot solve the incredibly difficult circumstances people face when it comes to domestic abuse, but we hope this package of support options will help anyone affected to deal with — and hopefully improve — their situation.”
