Of the many common personnel issues that HR professionals must handle each day, it’s likely that domestic violence is not top of mind. But given the high prevalence of domestic violence in the U.S., it’s very likely that you have dealt with its repercussions on employees—repeatedly.

You just may not have known it.

Some data indicate that one in four women and one in nine men are physically or psychologically abused in the U.S. each year, most often by their spouses or romantic partners. Other data put that number much higher. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that as many as 41% of women experience violence or stalking from an intimate partner in their lifetime.

And those people work.

Like many of their peers, victims of domestic violence hold down jobs and commute to their workplaces each day. As with other personal concerns, these employees bring their experience of domestic violence to work with them. Its impact on their personal lives often bleeds into their work lives, manifesting itself in performance and behavioral issues that may land them in HR.

Historically regarded as a private issue, and often a shameful secret, domestic violence tends to live in the shadows. Along with their friends and family, many of the colleagues and supervisors of domestic violence victims never suspect a thing—or they don’t recognize the signs until it’s too late.

Perpetrators of such violence rely on their victims’ fear of retribution—against them, their children, their family, or their friends—to keep them silent about their abuse. As a result, victims can become masters of disguise.

Nevertheless, domestic violence can betray itself in subtle ways if you are aware of its signs. But because they often don’t know what to look for, even those closest to victims can be among the last people to know about it.

In recent decades, there have been more efforts to push domestic violence out from the shadows and raise awareness about how to recognize and address it.

In 1981, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), formed three years earlier, declared a national Day of Unity on October 17th to raise public awareness about domestic violence and support abuse survivors. That day quickly expanded to a week, and in 1998, Congress officially established October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

During that month, national, state, regional, and local activists honor the victims and survivors of domestic violence and educate others about what they can do to prevent, recognize, and put an end to it. Each year, the Domestic Violence Awareness Project (DVAP) chooses a theme for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “With Survivors, Always.”

“This theme allows us to explore what it means to be in partnership with survivors toward safety, support, and solidarity,” the DVAP states. “It is … a call to action for those committed to advocating for survivors’ needs and rights.”

That’s where HR comes in.

The impact of domestic violence on workplace safety is significant. Consider these data points from the National Domestic Violence Hotline:

• Nearly 1 in 4 large private companies have reported at least one instance of domestic violence, including threats and assaults.
• 44% of full-time employed adults in the U.S. have reported experiencing the effects of domestic violence in their workplace.
• 96% of employed domestic violence victims experience problems at work because of their abuse.
• 64% of people who have identified themselves as victims of domestic violence have indicated that their ability to work has been affected by their abuse. Of those:
• 57% said they were distracted.
• 45% feared being discovered.
• 2 in 5 were afraid of an unexpected call or visit by their abuser.

In addition to its human toll, domestic violence can have a significant impact on the safety of workplaces and companies’ bottom lines. Consider the following:

• In response to a survey by the Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence, of the 21% of full-time employed adults who said they were victims of domestic violence, 74% reported being harassed at work.
• According to the U.S. Department of Labor, domestic violence is responsible for 27% of all workplace violence incidents in this country.
• The CDC has found that domestic violence victims miss eight million days of paid work each year, the equivalent of 32,000 jobs. This adds up to a $1.8 billion-dollar annual loss in productivity for employers.

Domestic violence victims are often targeted by their abusers in the workplace due to the predictability of their working hours. Abusers know where their targets are each day and when they will be there. For abuse victims trying to separate from their abusers, going to work can be dangerous, both for them and their coworkers.

Nevertheless, 71% of corporate executives do not perceive domestic violence as a major issue at their company, and more than 70% of U.S. workplaces do not have a formal program or policy that addresses domestic violence.

Given the pervasiveness of domestic abuse and its potential for harm to employees and their workplaces, HR staff should be trained to look for signs that employees may be in dangerous situations. Many times, there are significant indications of domestic abuse that are not recognized as such. For example:

• Increased distraction. A formerly high-performing employee may exhibit less focus, motivation, or productivity. They may be distracted by numerous phone calls or texts, impacting their performance.
• Self-isolation. An employee may inexplicably stop spending time with friends at work and after hours, excusing themselves from social activities and get-togethers they previously enjoyed.
• Atypical behavior. A previously high-performing employee may exhibit erratic behavior, keep inconsistent work hours, appear distracted in meetings, or snap at their colleagues.
• Unexplained injuries. An employee may repeatedly come to work with noticeable injuries and excuse them with stories of being clumsy or accident-prone. They may begin to jump or startle when someone unexpectedly enters their office.
• Poor attendance. An employee with little or no history of attendance issues may become habitually late, call out of work with no notice, or leave work early with no or flimsy explanations.

Because these signs may simply be the result of poor performance, it can be difficult to definitively relate them to domestic violence. Nevertheless, if you do suspect there may be more to an employees’ workplace difficulties than meets the eye, make them aware of the resources available to them in case they want to leverage them. While it helps to have a company policy for addressing suspected domestic violence to guide you, even if you don’t, there are measures you can take if you learn an employee may be in danger, including:

• Change the employee’s email address and work phone number to make it more difficult for their abuser to contact them in their workplace. Provide a number that does not identify the company name on caller ID.
• Re-assess any safety and security features on company-issued devices (such as phones and laptops) so the user cannot be tracked (i.e., by GPS).
• Make a plan to relocate the employee to a secure office location if circumstances require it.
• Provide information about local shelters if the employee is at home and needs to quickly relocate.
• Offer information on how to create a private personal checking account. Often abusers prevent victims from accessing their finances, so they do not have the resources to leave.
• Create a signal (e.g., a safety word or hand signal) if the employee feels they are under immediate threat.
• Offer flexible working arrangements, if possible, to enable the employee to work non-regular hours or in an alternate location.
• Arrange to have someone escort the employee to and from their car upon leaving/arriving at work.
• Inquire whether your EAP offers resources/therapy to help victims of domestic violence and forward that information.
• Create an HR point-of-contact for the employee to contact if they need help.

Experts in domestic abuse response typically advise HR professionals to take their cue from victims when determining how best to help them. Domestic violence situations can be precarious, and providing help in the wrong way could endanger victims even more. Ask the employee what they need and respond by giving them the appropriate resources. Let them know that you are standing by to help if they request it.

The ideal way for HR to protect employees and their workplaces from the impact of domestic violence is to work with company leadership to develop a policy and action plan to safeguard workers when necessary. An essential part of that plan should be providing training on how to recognize the signs of domestic abuse and discretely and safely respond to it. HR should also assess the legal obligations companies have to protect their employees. Organizations such as Workplaces Respond provide comprehensive guidance for helping employers address domestic abuse when it impacts their employees.

When HR professionals are trained and prepared to detect and respond to the domestic abuse of their employees, those employees can gain a powerful champion to help them escape their situation.

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The information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.