According to the new policy, employees are not required to submit proof of domestic abuse to avail of this leave, as the company considers the difficulty and trauma of disclosing domestic abuse. 

In this regard, such leave will be recorded with a specific absence code to protect employees' privacy and treated separately to sick leave.

Moreover, it can be taken retrospectively or in advance, full days or half days, depending on their specific needs, and without minimum service requirements. 

In the company statement, Natasha Adams, CEO of Tesco Ireland, said: "With immediate effect, we will bring forward the introduction of the new five days paid leave provision for people experiencing domestic abuse. Paid leave is an essential factor in escaping domestic abuse as victims sometimes need to prepare to leave the abusive relationship through attending support services, legal services, and counselling; looking for a new place to live and making necessary childcare arrangements. These preparations cannot always be carried out during working hours. During this extremely difficult process, it is vital that victims feel certain that their employment and financial independence are protected".

The provision of this new type of paid leave in the company, already set in the Work-Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 introduced by Government last year for all workers, anticipates the law, which is still ongoing and is expected to be enacted later this year. In addition, the topic is of considerable importance globally. Also, in Canada, for example, the British Columbia government has recently introduced up to five days of paid leave for employees affected by domestic or sexual violence or for parents of a child or employee affected by such violence.

In the UK, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on September 2020 launched a new guide for employers, setting out how to recognise and support staff experiencing domestic abuse, "calling on employers to take a more active role in supporting those experiencing domestic abuse by having a well-publicised policy and framework of support in place and proactively making staff aware of the help that is available."