Theresa May says continued wfh may lead to more dv and abuse

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Good point. I hadn't thought enough about this. Wfh is so helpful to parents and others with caring responsibilities, but we all know that dv and emotional abuse has increased massively during lockdown. Theresa May is just saying in an interview on The World At One that for many people work is their safe space and their refuge from the abuse that happens at home, so employers need to think carefully about telling all employees to work from home longer term.

I don't have a lot of time for TM and I don't think she was a good PM, but I was pleased to hear a high profile politician speaking out about dv and abuse. There's so far to go with this, though. People should be able to decide with their employers whether they can/want to work from home without having to factor in whether spending a lot more time with their partner is safe.

[DianasLasso]

Yes, I think she's right about this.

(She was a curate's egg as a front bench politician/PM - her grasp of detail and work ethic made her good at ministerial level in some respects, though she was a very draconian home secretary. As PM I think she suffered from the glass cliff - she got put into the job simply because all the higher profile men around her knew it was a poisoned chalice. Once there, her rigidity and inflexibility outweighed any good that might have come from her attention to detail. Oddly, had she been dealing with Covid rather than Brexit, that attention to detail would have played in her favour - I'd sooner have had her than Boris - and she might have gone down in the history books as a competent if uninspiring PM.)

[RedToothBrush]

Also see increasing the number of online GP appointments which is also being encouraged due to covid.

Theresa May was a bloody awful PM and Home Secretart, but I think shes doing a better job as a constituency MP and backbencher. Plus Johnson makes virtually all MPs look better.

[sultanasofa]

It's nice to hear her sounding relaxed, fluent and confident. I almost didn't recognise her! Such an important issue too.

[Al1Langdownthecleghole]

Also see increasing the number of online GP appointments which is also being encouraged due to covid.

Online midwife appts worry me especially, Red. Pregnant Women need to be seen in person.

And yes, WFH is a problem. Not only is there no escape, there’s no opportunity to speak to other people and identify that the situation isn’t normal.

[Nappyvalley15]

Absolutely agree with this. There will be a lot of women trapped at home with their abusers all day.

I worry more generally about the speed at which companies have decided that employees will wfh for the medium to long term. This blanket approach won't be in the best interests of many people for a wide range of reasons.

[RedToothBrush]

Also see women being made unemployed due to childcare responsibilities under covid conditions.

[DCIRozHuntley]

I thought this when the pubs reopened.

There'll be a lot of women thinking "thank f*ck for that" as they get a breather from their belittling or abusive partners.

[BikeRunSki]

I have a school-mum friend who works for the probation service. On the last Friday of school before lockdown she said “just waiting for the spike in domestic homocide now”. Not to be funny, or clever, but because her experience tells her that when people have been in with their families for about a week, that’s when domestic violence accelerates. The World Cup; that weird time between Christmas and new year, prolonged bad weather... I saw her in the village recently. She’s never been busier.

[annabel85]

@DianasLasso

Yes, I think she's right about this.

(She was a curate's egg as a front bench politician/PM - her grasp of detail and work ethic made her good at ministerial level in some respects, though she was a very draconian home secretary. As PM I think she suffered from the glass cliff - she got put into the job simply because all the higher profile men around her knew it was a poisoned chalice. Once there, her rigidity and inflexibility outweighed any good that might have come from her attention to detail. Oddly, had she been dealing with Covid rather than Brexit, that attention to detail would have played in her favour - I'd sooner have had her than Boris - and she might have gone down in the history books as a competent if uninspiring PM.)

The Peter Principle persononified.

[Valleydad99]

There is going to be unemployment on a scale not seen in this country since the 1930's. Peoples mental, physical and financial health are going to be washed down the toilet in the name of protecting public health. This is going to be a disaster in terms of DV. The Great Depression will have nothing on this I fear.

[coffeetime11]

I think Theresa May has reminded us of a very important issue. As someone with a stable home life, I hope employers when deciding who and how people return to offices can somehow take this into account, within confidentiality of course.

[Mrsjayy]

Women need an escape a respite and .them or their. Partner being out of the house at work is that escape. I can't even comprehend what living in an abusive relationship in lockdown. Would be like so the prospect of further WFH must feel like torture, .I think the men in charge must listen to Theresa May.

[KaronAVyrus]

She’s absolutely right

I thought there would be a lot of women breathing a huge sigh of relief when the golf courses opened.

[Topseyt]

Much as I am no particular fan of Theresa May, she does have a point on this.

I am glad to hear someone willing to talk about this important issue right now.

[MoltenLasagne]

Also see increasing the number of online GP appointments which is also being encouraged due to covid.

Yes, I am worried about what this means about access to birth control for women with abusive husbands, plus the fact that this was a check point for dv.

There's a poster near me that says "Domestic abusers always work from home" with the helpline. Can't imagine what it must be like for women who don't even get a few hours break during the week any more.

[stumbledin]

It would be worthwhile to remember that is was actually TM who promoted this Bill which has survived all the elections lock downs and whatever.

And in many instances Tory women have been better on DV that Labour women.

And as has been said above being TM she made sure she was fully briefed and what she is quoted as saying today is what the DV services have been saying since lockdown.

And due to their lobbying victims of DV were some of the only people allowed to move out of their home during lockdown, and rail companies offered free travel. The problem was of course that there aren't enough bedspaces in refuges to provide a safe space. And although local councils put money into renting hotel rooms from street sleepers for some reason they wouldn't do this for DV victims.

And find a lot of her policies too right wing, but dont subcribe to the notion that she was a terrible PM. She took on the role when the men ran away and from the start the Tory men set out to undermine her, but the onslaught from the media, including women reporters to belittle her made her job really impossible.

If you compage the language used against her by the press compared to the easy ride they are giving Boris Johnson who is lazy and uninformed, it gives the best indication yet that in this country a mediocre, or even total cretin, will be given more lea way than a woman.

Her problem was she thought she was there to do a job and got on with it and didn't do party tricks or attempt to ingratiate herself. And the media loathed her for that.

In their stupid charicature way they think Farage having a pint in a pub, or BJ doing one of his kerfuffle speeches is politics. Is it any wonder we are in the shambles we are in when even the political media actually thinks talking properly about politics is too boring to do.

And even BJ thinks it is too boring to do so he has delegated an unelected unacountable nerd to do his work.

[coffeetime11]

stumbledin not part of the issue, but your point about the different treatment given to our current part-time mass killer by neglect Prime Minister is well made.

[Gwynfluff]

It's estimated about 6 hours per day of unpaid labour has been pushed back into the domestic sphere in lockdown, most of it being picked up by women, many of whom are of working age and have jobs. Rates of domestic violence have increased at the level experts feared.

To be honest, I'm not a Tory, I think she got the detail of Brexit and what the hell needed to be negotiated and that it would be difficult. Boris Johnson has not negotiated an exit deal at all and a letter has been leaked today from Liz Truss raising huge concerns about the lack of border/tariff agreements.

[Antibles]

She's right. This is a really good point.
Being closeted in the house with an abusive partner is very bad news. There no breathing space if neither partner is leaving the house to go to work.
Abusive partners may make it difficult for the abused partner to actually get their work done from home .
The chance for a confidential, face to face appointment with a GP, counsellor or midwife is hugely important for a woman with a controlling partner. These really must remain available wherever possible.

[MsSafina]

And in many instances Tory women have been better on DV that Labour women.

This is because Labour is paralysed by identity politics and afraid of upsetting some faction or other.

[Angryresister]

Yes.watching from afar at the beginning tbe main advantage if all that execise being taken by mostly men was that the women at home with work and children got some respite. One of the.main reasons women have liked working is that it gets us out into a more social environment, however crap the conditions pay etc

[Siablue]

She is right. Not a huge fan of TM but I think she genuinely cared about victims of abuse and I am pleased she is speaking up on this.

I have been in an abusive relationship and lockdown would be awful. For a lot of people work is their safe space. A lot of abusive partners would make it impossible to do any work from home.