1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will experience some form of domestic abuse during their adult lifetime.
Domestic abuse not only has significant impacts on the individuals experiencing it, but has significant social and economic costs more broadly.
Members of our workforce may be impacted directly or indirectly by domestic abuse through a family member, friend or work colleague.
For some, the workplace may be the only safe place where they are able to reach out for support. Creating a lifeline for those affected could be a crucial step in helping them find a way out of their situation. This could be:
- an opportunity to provide vital information about domestic abuse
- support for employees to recognise the signs
- information on specialist organisations who offer support
Specialist support organisations can be found on the if you're concerned that you may be experiencing domestic abuse page.
It's important to recognise that managers and colleagues should not feel responsible to ‘fix this’ for someone, as anyone experiencing or perpetrating domestic abuse will need a multi-disciplinary approach. No one person can do this alone.
Toolkit purpose
We are committed to developing an effective workplace response to domestic abuse, acknowledging that ‘domestic abuse is everyone’s business, and everyone has a role in breaking the cycle’.
This toolkit aims to create awareness about domestic abuse and demonstrates the support any employee can access if they are experiencing it. They may be:
- experiencing it themselves
- feeling the impact of a family member or colleague who is experiencing it
- concerned if both they and the alleged perpetrator both work for Essex County Council
This toolkit also provides guidance and support for all employees including line managers, People Support (HR), workforce ambassadors and employee networks.