The factsheets in this section cover some of the statutory employment rights which may be helpful to know about when considering a case where domestic abuse impacts on working life. These factsheets are provided by Greater Manchester Pay and Employment Rights Advice Service.
Not all statutory employment rights are covered here.
A contract of employment may improve on, but cannot reduce, statutory rights. Therefore it is advisable to look at the written contract of employment as a first step, where it is available.
Statutory rights can often be used to gain time off or flexibility for employees experiencing domestic abuse. For example, where children are involved Dependants' Leave can be used in an emergency to ensure they are safe or to attend emergency family court proceedings. It is possible to apply for Flexible Working when there are problems making arrangements for children to get to and from school.
Statutory Holidays can sometimes be the only solution for someone who requires time off for important appointments. Statutory Sick Pay rights are important in keeping some form of income when absent from work due to stress or injury and there is no entitlement to contractual sick pay.
Where physical or psychological injury, due to domestic abuse, leads to a prolonged condition, an employee may be unable to carry out their normal duties. In this case they may be entitled to rights contained in the Disability Discrimination Act if they meet the criteria as outlined in the Disability at Work factsheet.
Also included in this section is information about what an employee can do if they are unhappy about how they are being treated in the workplace, in terms of grievances procedure and the process that an employer must follow if disciplining an employee.
The factsheet about Sex Discrimination is included because a case of indirect sex discrimination may apply where it can be shown that an employer has treated a woman less favourably because she has experienced domestic abuse. This is because statistically more women than men experience domestic abuse.
Please note that employment law frequently changes and updates to the factsheets included in this section can be located at www.gmemploymentrights.org.uk.
All factsheets currently available are listed below.
These factsheets are intended as a guide to the some of the applicable employment rights. If you need more information or advice about employment rights, Please contact the DAWES Project on 0161 839 3236
OR Greater Manchester Pay and Employment Rights Advice Service on 0161 839 3888.
