How to handle a domestic abuse disclosure at work – something you have thought about?

So is today your first day back? Excited and chomping at the bit or was it a bit of a drag getting out of bed and leaning back into the routine?

Some people will be genuinely relieved the holidays are over, and not because they are workaholics, but because the workplace is where they get to feel like themselves again. Perhaps a sense of achievement, a reminder of their competence and capability, a place where they can breathe out safely and step away from the fear for the day.

For some of the 3.8 million people in the UK who’ve experienced domestic abuse in the last 12 months, the workplace can feel like their safe space – and such a relief to be back into that routine.

Research also tells us that:-

* Victim-survivors will often disclose to a trusted friend or colleague before they ever speak to a professional.
* Coercive control has significant impact in more ways than you realise.
* Domestic abuse victim-survivors carry significantly elevated suicide risk.
* Typical suicide prevention advice often assumes choice, freedom to connect with others, tapping into a support network and many simply don’t have those options.

We need more than the supportive workplace policy – we need to better understand the connection between coercive control and suicide risk, and why safety planning and signposting has to be grounded in what’s actually possible for that person, not what should be possible in a tidy text-book world.

We need to better join the dots, develop that combination of compassion and curiosity and train our managers and leaders to have confident conversations early and safely, spot what’s sitting underneath the words, and respond appropriately – that’s the investment that actually protects people, culture, and your business – not just a well crafted policy and an EAP to point at.

Drop me a note if I can help?