Economic abuse advocacy on employment helps victim-survivors access employment, training, volunteering and self-employment opportunities that support long-term economic independence. It also involves recognising and responding to employment sabotage and other forms of economic abuse that restrict access to work, education and income.

Why economic advocacy on employment matters 

Economic abuse can prevent victim-survivors from accessing, maintaining or progressing in employment through behaviours such as harassment at work, restricting access to childcare or transport, damaging credit records, or disrupting education and training. Employment support should therefore be integrated with safety planning and tailored to each victim-survivor’s circumstances, goals and readiness. 

Employment is not simply about income. Safe, sustainable employment can help victim-survivors rebuild confidence, reduce economic dependence and help them rebuild their lives after economic abuse.   

How advocacy on employment can support economic independence  

The case study below illustrates how tailored employment support can help victim-survivors rebuild confidence, develop skills and move towards greater economic independence.

Employment advocacy: practitioner checklist  

Employment and training opportunities can play an important role in building economic independence. The actions below can help practitioners identify barriers created by economic abuse and support victim-survivors to pursue opportunities safely. 

S – Spot the impact  

• Identify impacts on work or education – explore whether the abuser has prevented attendance, caused problems at work, restricted access to transport or childcare, or interfered with study or training. If you’d like support to integrate screening tools into your work, contact us at [email protected]  
• Identify barriers created by economic abuse – explore whether economic abuse has damaged credit history, restricted access to identification documents or technology, disrupted professional qualifications, or created other barriers to education, training or employment.  
• Recognise employment sabotage – for example, repeatedly making someone late or absent, harassing them at work, damaging work equipment or clothing, or preventing them from taking or keeping a job.  
• Recognise the impact of trauma – understand how trauma may affect confidence, concentration, attendance and readiness for employment, education or training. 

T – Talk about goals and safety  

• Explore goals, strengths and aspirations – discuss the victim-survivor’s interests, skills, experience, qualifications and ambitions, and explore employment, education, volunteering or training opportunities that align with their longer-term goals, circumstances and safety needs. 
• Build confidence and support informed choice – use strengths-based conversations to recognise achievements, build confidence and support the victim-survivor to make informed decisions about their next steps. 
• Break goals into manageable steps – help identify realistic stepping stones towards longer-term goals, such as short courses, volunteering, placements or part-time opportunities. 
• Discuss financial and digital safety – consider how income will be received safely, protect financial information, and explore safe approaches to job searching, applications and online activity. 
• Develop a safety and sustainability plan – explore opportunities in the context of ongoing risks from the abuser, including workplace disclosure, travel arrangements, working patterns, location, self-employment considerations and actions to take if concerns arise. 

E – Enable opportunities  

• Help address practical and financial barriers – such as childcare, transport or identification documents or right-to-work documents, and support access to funding for travel, childcare, equipment or training costs.   
• Explore opportunities – help identify suitable volunteering, education, training, work experience or employment opportunities. 
• Support applications and interview preparation – help the victim-survivor review or rebuild their CV, explain gaps in employment or education history where appropriate, strengthen applications and build interview confidence. 
• Help identify flexible opportunities – explore options that align with the victim-survivor’s safety needs, wellbeing and caring responsibilities. 
• Advocate with employers where appropriate - with the victim-survivor’s consent, help them explain their circumstances and explore adjustments or support that could help them remain safely in work.    

P – Partner with specialist support  

• Connect to specialist support – including employment and careers guidance, education and training services, welfare benefits advice, debt advice, digital inclusion support, wellbeing services and self-employment support where additional expertise is needed. 

Practice considerations for advocacy on employment  

Victim-survivors may face a range of practical, emotional and safety-related barriers to employment. These considerations can help practitioners provide realistic and survivor-centred support. 

• Employment should never be prioritised over immediate safety.   
• Progress towards employment is not always straightforward. Victim-survivors may need time before returning to work, education or training. 
• Confidence-building, volunteering and skills development can be important stepping stones towards employment.   
• Employers can play a valuable role when they understand domestic, including economic, abuse.   
• Sustainable employment can be a key route to long-term economic independence.  
• Victim-survivors are the expert in their own circumstances and should lead decision making.  

Who can provide this advocacy?  

Economic abuse advocacy is a shared responsibility across the coordinated community response. Domestic abuse services, housing, health, social care, welfare advice, employment services and community organisations all have a role to play, supported by effective partnership working and referral pathways.  

Advocacy on employment is especially relevant for specialist domestic abuse services, employers, Jobcentre Plus, employment and careers services, education and training providers, and organisations supporting volunteering and self-employment.  

Reflective questions for commissioners  

Economic abuse can create significant barriers to employment, education and training. Commissioners have an important role in ensuring victim-survivors can access support that recognises these barriers and promotes long-term economic independence. The questions below may help inform local commissioning and service development. 

• Can victim-survivors access specialist employment support when they are ready?   
• Are employment pathways integrated within domestic abuse services?   
• Do practitioners understand employment sabotage as a form of economic abuse?   
• Are employers, job centres and local employment services engaged within the coordinated community response?   
• How is employment support improving victim-survivors’ long-term economic independence?  

Build your team’s confidence  

Economic abuse can be difficult to identify and respond to. Practitioners may feel confident responding to wider domestic abuse behaviours but less confident identifying and responding to economic abuse, including employment sabotage.  

Building knowledge and skills across the workforce can strengthen responses and improve outcomes for victim-survivors. Surviving Economic Abuse provides training, consultancy and practical resources to help organisations strengthen economic abuse advocacy within their services.  

Join our practitioners’ network to stay up to date with the latest information and guidance on economic abuse advocacy to support safe banking.  

Further resources on income and essentials