Banker & Tradesman photo / file

Berkshire Bank has partnered with FreeFrom, a national organization focusing on the connection between financial insecurity and intimate partner violence, to improve protections for employees experiencing domestic violence and develop products and services to support customers dealing with abuse.

The Boston-based bank said it worked with FreeFrom to change company policies for employees experiencing intimate partner violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

The new policy will give these employees 15 days of paid leave each year to seek medical care, attend court proceedings and relocate, Berkshire said in a statement. The new policy means employees will not have to use accrued sick or vacation days for these days off. The bank said it has had a domestic violence leave policy in place since 2014 to comply with applicable state laws.

“These new enhancements go beyond the mandated requirements of state laws to offer additional support for survivors and their families impacted by this type of abuse,” the bank said in the statement.

Berkshire has about 1,500 employees in New England, New York and the Mid-Atlantic. Employees will also have access to FreeFrom’s Compensation Compass, a tool to help domestic abuse survivors understand whether they are eligible for compensation to cover some of the costs related to their experiences.

“COVID-19 has laid bare the staggering lack of infrastructure in place in the U.S. to support survivors,” Sonya Passi, CEO of FreeFrom, said in the statement. “Disrupting the cycle of violence requires every member of our society to step up and take responsibility for solving this systemic problem. For employers, this means implementing policies that support employees who experience this type of harm in building the financial security they need to stay safe. With the implementation of their new survivor paid and protected leave policy, Berkshire Bank has emerged as a corporate leader in the movement against gender-based violence in the U.S.”

Financial insecurity is considered a barrier to breaking the cycle of domestic violence. FreeFrom, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization, is working to build infrastructure to address systemic problems related to intimate partner violence, including technology resources for survivors, peer networks for survivors, changes to state and federal laws and data and research to support the field.

FreeFrom is also working to bring employers, banks and other institutions into the ecosystem to support survivor’s financial security and safety. Berkshire Bank said it plans to collaborate with FreeFrom on the nonprofit organization’s Survivor Safety Banking Initiative to explore products and policies that better support customers that have experienced violence or abuse.

“This approach eliminates barriers to access for individuals of all backgrounds and experiences by providing innovative financial solutions including an online account opening experience that will help bring survivors into mainstream banking,” the bank said.

FreeFrom has created guidelines for banks to support domestic violence survivors, including meeting national Bank On standards, offering enhanced fraud protection and designating internal teams to handle survivors’ accounts.

“Action matters, and we are proud to partner with FreeFrom to enhance our existing leave policies and provide additional resources for survivors of gender-based violence,” Sean Gray, acting CEO and president of Berkshire Bank, said in a statement. “As we honor Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, this enhancement for our employees and collaboration with FreeFrom is an important component to living our Be FIRST vision and values while building a successful and meaningful culture where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential.”