Recognise

Page updated: 01/06/2026

Employees who experience domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence may not tell people at work about their situation. It is more likely that you will become aware of the situation through associated issues such as absences or poor performance.   The following are signs that an employee could be experiencing domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence. They may also be indicative of other concerns.

 Work Productivity Signs

  • Persistently late without explanation or with unusual explanation or needing to leave work early
  • High absenteeism without explanation or with unusual explanation
  • Changes in quality of work performance for unexplained reasons
  • Increased time being spent at work for no apparent reason i.e., arriving early and leaving late
  • Upset at work due to receipt of upsetting emails, texts, phone calls, mail, social media messages or any other form of communication
  • Vulnerability to stress at work which impacts on performance/attendance

 

 Psychological Signs

  • May cry or be anxious at work
  • Uncharacteristic depression, anxiety, distraction, problems with concentrating
  • Changes in behaviour; may become quiet and withdrawn and avoid interacting with colleagues
  • Fear of partner/references to anger
  • Expresses fear at leaving children home alone with partner.

 Physical Signs

  • Repeated injuries such as bruises; explanations for injuries that seem implausible
  • Frequent and/or sudden/unexpected medical problems/sickness absence
  • Fatigue
  • Change in the way an employee dresses e.g., excessive clothing in summer
  • Unkempt or dishevelled appearance
  • Change in the pattern or amount of makeup worn.

 Other Signs

  • Receives constant phone calls from partner/ex-partner
  • Partner meets employee outside work regularly
  • Employee appears anxious about leaving the premises
  • Employee appears anxious about leaving work on time
  • Employee appears reluctant to leave work alone
  • Employee fails to attend or avoids work events, such as training, away days or social activities.

 Take Action

If an employee discloses to you, they are experiencing domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence it is very important they are believed – do not ask for proof. Avoid passing judgement on the perpetrator’s behaviour or the victim’s response. It is important to understand that leaving an abusive relationship or dealing with the consequences of sexual violence is a very difficult thing to do.

You need to ensure a sensitive and non-judgemental approach when supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence. 

The section in relation to Asking Difficult Questions provides examples of indirect and direct questions that you can use to explore the issues further with an individual.

Where possible, you should always support a victim on their own terms and advise them on accessing the Council’s Wellbeing and Counselling Services, time-off etc policies, the list of external agencies listed in our Help and Support section and involving the Police.  If a member of staff does not wish you to refer them, or give you their consent to contact other agencies, their wishes must be paramount.

 

 Managing Performance or Attendance

You should be aware of the possibility of domestic abuse and sexual violence when implementing the Sickness Absence Policy and procedures. If you suspect domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence could be the cause of absence, then try and create a supportive environment in which the employee is able to disclose the abuse if they wish to do so. You should consider whether it is appropriate to issue sickness absence warnings where the known cause is domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence and seek advice from a HR Advisor.

Similarly, in reviewing performance through the Council’s adopted Appraisals (Recognise. Grow. Together) and before applying the Capability Policy and procedures you should consider the possibility of domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence being a factor in under performance.

The focus should be on supporting rather than penalising or putting additional pressure on employees affected. Managers should be sympathetic when dealing with distracted behaviour, poor timekeeping and unplanned absence that may result from the abuse of an employee.

 Pregnancy/Maternity

Pregnancy can be a trigger for domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence, but in relationships where this already exists, the abuse and violence can get worse. Where you suspect or are aware of domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence, this should be taken into account as part of the pregnancy risk assessment and appropriate safeguards considered, utilising the New and Expectant Mothers risk assessment Maternity Leave located on the Health & Safety pages of the intranet.

You should also explore ‘Keeping in Touch’ days during maternity leave and agree a safe mechanism for maintaining workplace communication during maternity leave. Information on KIT days and the Maternity Pack can be found in the HR pages on the intranet.

 Creating a Supportive Environment

There are a number of things you can do to create a safe environment for an employee to disclose domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence and feel that they will be supported if they do. Employees will feel more able to disclose if they know you understand and are empathetic in your approach to issues of domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence.

Discussing this policy at team meetings, displaying posters and leaflets in your work area can help to demonstrate this.

 Ask the Question

As a manager you may suspect that there is a problem but are afraid to ask. Research shows that victims of domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence wished someone had asked them about it. If you suspect an employee may be being abused, raise the issue with them in a private location in a sensitive, non-confrontational manner.  If appropriate, offer the option of speaking to another manager of the same sex or ethnicity as the employee suffering domestic abuse or violence.

Further guidance on how to ask an employee about domestic abuse, domestic or sexual violence can be found in our Asking Difficult Questions page

 

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