Domestic Abuse in the Workplace Training
Practical workplace domestic abuse training for managers and HR teams covering signs, safe conversations, workplace support, risk, policy and appropriate referral.
Practical workplace domestic abuse training for managers and HR teams covering signs, safe conversations, workplace support, risk, policy and appropriate referral.
Domestic abuse does not remain at home when somebody comes to work. It can affect an employee's safety, wellbeing, attendance, concentration, finances, communication and ability to participate fully in working life.
Employers, managers and HR professionals are not expected to become domestic abuse specialists. They do, however, need the confidence to recognise possible concerns, respond appropriately to a disclosure and understand what workplace support may be available.
This course provides a practical framework for responding sensitively while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, confidentiality and safety.
In‑house courses are private sessions delivered exclusively for a group of people from your organisation, on a date that suits you, with the option to tailor the content to your staff and setting.
Open courses are public Equality and Diversity UK training dates that anyone can book onto, ideal when you only need training for one or two people.
Domestic abuse can include physical or sexual abuse, violent or threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, psychological or emotional abuse and economic abuse.
Abuse can occur between current or former partners and within family relationships. It can affect people of any sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, religion, disability or socioeconomic background.
Women are disproportionately affected by many forms of domestic abuse, but inclusive workplace practice also requires organisations to recognise and support men, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people and anybody else who may be experiencing abuse.
The workplace may become part of the abuse. A perpetrator may repeatedly telephone, message or email an employee, monitor their movements, appear at their workplace, contact colleagues or misuse technology to maintain control.
Domestic abuse may also affect punctuality, attendance, performance or behaviour. Managers therefore need to avoid automatically treating changes in an employee's work as a simple conduct or capability issue without considering whether something else may be happening.
This course is particularly suitable for HR and People teams, line managers, supervisors, senior leaders, safeguarding leads, wellbeing leads, trade union representatives and others who may receive disclosures or have responsibility for workplace support and policy.
It can also be adapted as broader awareness training for employees where organisations want staff to understand domestic abuse, workplace support and appropriate routes for raising concerns.
There is no single appearance or behaviour that proves somebody is experiencing domestic abuse. Possible indicators may have many explanations.
Delegates therefore learn to notice changes and patterns without diagnosing, investigating or pressuring somebody to disclose. The focus is on creating opportunities for safe, supportive conversation.
Notice possible patterns or changes without making assumptions about what they mean.
Create a private opportunity to talk, listen carefully and avoid blame or judgement.
Consider workplace measures and specialist support while keeping safety central.
Somebody disclosing domestic abuse may have taken a significant step in deciding to speak. The response they receive can affect whether they feel able to seek further support.
Delegates explore how to listen without interrogating, avoid victim-blaming questions, acknowledge what has been shared and explain realistically what the organisation can and cannot do.
A manager's role is generally not to establish whether domestic abuse has occurred or to investigate somebody's private relationship.
The workplace role is to listen, consider safety and work implications, follow relevant organisational procedures and help the employee access appropriate specialist support where required.
Employees need clarity about confidentiality. Information should not simply be shared widely because somebody has disclosed abuse.
At the same time, organisations should avoid making absolute promises of secrecy where there may be safeguarding, serious safety or other legal considerations. Delegates consider how to explain boundaries sensitively and involve the employee in decisions wherever appropriate.
Domestic abuse can create workplace safety issues for the employee and potentially for colleagues or others using the workplace.
Depending on circumstances, workplace measures might include reviewing contact arrangements, reception or security procedures, working location, telephone or email access, emergency contacts, travel arrangements or other practical precautions.
Decisions should be individual and proportionate rather than based on a standard checklist.
Employment and financial independence can be particularly important for somebody experiencing economic abuse.
Perpetrators may interfere with employment, control money, create debt or deliberately make it difficult for somebody to attend or remain in work. Understanding this context can help managers avoid responses that unintentionally increase the employee's vulnerability.
Appropriate workplace support will depend on the employee, their role and the circumstances. Options may include temporary flexibility around working hours or location, leave, communication arrangements, changes to contact information or other agreed measures.
The purpose is not to prescribe a particular solution but to explore what could help the employee remain safe and supported at work.
Technology can be used to monitor, intimidate or maintain control. Workplace phones, email, calendars, social media, location information and other digital systems may therefore become relevant.
Delegates consider the importance of involving appropriate IT, security or specialist colleagues where necessary rather than giving potentially unsafe technical advice without sufficient expertise.
Employers may also become aware that an employee is alleged to be perpetrating domestic abuse, including situations involving two employees.
These circumstances require careful consideration of safety, confidentiality, employment procedures and organisational responsibilities. The course explores principles for responding without assuming guilt or ignoring credible concerns.
A clear policy can help employees and managers understand how concerns will be handled, what support may be available and where responsibilities sit within the organisation.
Delegates can consider policy areas including disclosure, confidentiality, safety, workplace adjustments, perpetrators, referral routes, manager responsibilities and links with existing safeguarding, disciplinary, absence and wellbeing procedures.
By the end of the course, delegates should be better able to:
Training can reflect your sector, workforce, existing domestic abuse or safeguarding procedures and the responsibilities of those attending.
All our courses are tailored to ensure the training reflects your organisation's goals, workplace policies and priorities.
The course can be delivered face-to-face or online via Zoom or Teams.
To support participation, discussion and interaction, we recommend the following group sizes per session:
Need to train a larger workforce? No problem. We regularly work with organisations that need to train larger numbers of employees. Where appropriate, training can be delivered across multiple sessions to ensure everyone receives the same high-quality, interactive learning experience. We can develop a delivery programme to suit your workforce size, locations and timescales.
Please note: the half-day rate is not always available for face-to-face sessions.
Over 25 years' experience delivering equality, diversity and inclusion training, consultancy and professional development.
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