Leadership1 publisher3 min readPublished
Tesco and Usdaw agree three days of paid leave for staff facing domestic abuse
Tesco has agreed with its union, Usdaw, to give staff who disclose domestic abuse three days of paid Safe Leave, the first such policy at a UK supermarket. Because the terms were bargained, other large employers and their unions now have a concrete figure to negotiate from.
The Board Room · Leadership desk
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What happened
- Staff can take the leave flexibly, as days or 21 hours, for court hearings, emergency housing, new locks, childcare or separating finances.
- Managers across Tesco have been trained to spot signs of abuse, support affected colleagues and point them to specialist services.
- The policy was shaped with guidance from the Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse, a free network of more than 2,000 UK employers.
- It adds to the counselling, legal and financial advice, mental health support and Peoplesafe safety app that Tesco already offers all UK staff.
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Why it matters
- precedent Usdaw can now cite a signed term at a major employer when it bargains elsewhere, and three paid days becomes the opening figure other retailers' staff are likely to ask for.
- exposure With no evidence required, each line manager becomes the place a disclosure lands, so uneven handling across stores would decide who actually gets the leave.
- cost The fixed three-day cap bounds what Tesco spends per colleague, and anyone whose court dates, move and finances need longer has to find that time elsewhere.
- decision Large employers, including the more than 2,000 in EIDA's network, now have to choose whether to match a union-negotiated figure or set their own terms first.
Daniel Adams, Usdaw's national officer, said: "Usdaw has long campaigned for support at work for survivors of domestic abuse and we are pleased to have successfully negotiated this new policy with Tesco." [11] Tesco describes the launch as voluntary [4]. Both accounts hold at once: the company chose to act, and the union bargained the terms [4][11]. I think the bargaining matters more for what comes next, because a term agreed with a recognised union is harder to withdraw quietly than a policy set by HR alone. It also gives Usdaw a written precedent. Adams said: "We would urge all employers, that haven't yet done so, to follow the lead of Tesco and introduce workplace policies to support domestic abuse survivors, helping them to recover from their experiences and rebuild their lives." [12]
The policy is delivered at the point of disclosure [1]. Tesco will not ask victims or survivors for formal evidence, or ask them to relive traumatic experiences [6]. That choice gives up verification to lower the barrier to use. It also makes the manager's first response the main control on the scheme. Emma Taylor, Tesco's chief people officer, said the company was introducing the leave "ensuring colleagues can access practical support and the time they need without worrying about taking unpaid leave or explaining deeply personal circumstances" [16]. Tesco has said managers across the business were trained for this [5]; the announcement does not give a number or say how consistency will be checked.
The allowance is fixed. Tesco's own list of uses runs to five items [2]. The 21-hour option equals seven hours for each of the three days [1], so the time can be split across separate appointments [3]. A fixed allowance is simple to run and to budget. Its limit falls on the colleague whose separation needs more than three days of appointments [1]. Tesco's answer is that the leave sits on top of existing help: the company said the policy builds on current support by recognising that victims and survivors may need dedicated time away from work [13].
This week's news is an announcement timed to the start of Domestic Abuse Awareness Month in October [9]. The longer question is whether three paid days becomes the figure other large UK employers are compared with. Taylor said: "As the UK's largest private-sector employer, we believe we have a responsibility to support colleagues in what are likely to be some of the most challenging moments in their lives." [15] She added that Tesco wants the step "to help drive wider action from employers across the UK" [10]. I'd expect staff and unions at other retailers to ask for at least three days [1]. Susan Bright, chief executive of the Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse, said: "we hope other employers will be inspired by their leadership." [14]
What to watch
- Whether another UK supermarket or large retailer announces paid domestic-abuse leave, and whether it matches or beats three days.
- Any take-up figures from Tesco or Usdaw, or reports on how consistently managers handle disclosures across stores.
- Whether Usdaw puts the Tesco terms on the table in its talks with other employers.