Domestic abuse awareness and responding well to disclosures in the workplace training

Course overview

The course aims to help ensure that employers are well placed to spot the signs of domestic abuse in colleagues: anxiety, decreased motivation, seeming distracted, being late, being on the phone to a partner or family member very often.

We know that employers want to do everything possible to keep staff healthy, happy, and productive. Sadly, we also know that one in four women and one in seven men have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. International research commissioned by Vodafone in 2019 found that one in five (21%) survey respondents from the UK felt they had been less productive at work as a result of experiencing domestic abuse.

We also know that Covid-19 has increased the incidences of domestic abuse because safe spaces and escape routes may have no longer been available to victims and survivors. Virtually every employer will have staff who are affected by domestic abuse, and yet so few employers have adequate policies or training in place. We’ve supported organisations of all different sizes and from different sectors to improve their response to domestic abuse, including NatWest banking group, Ogilvy, URBN, NHS Blood and Transplant, Aviva, Vodafone Foundation and Comic Relief.

Public and private sector organisations must recognise that domestic abuse will impact their workforce and take positive action to support those who may be suffering in silence. The workplace is often the last place a victim will say they felt like themselves or say that it was a place they felt safe.

Employers are in a unique position to offer vital resources and support to victims. Businesses from every sector need to take responsibility for the wellbeing and safety of their staff. This requires training, resources, and leadership.