Today marks the start of 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence and workplaces are being encouraged to get involved so they can spot the signs of abuse and give staff the help they need.

Research shows that the annual cost of domestic violence to businesses is £2bn – but you cannot put a price on the value of a life, or the physical and emotional torment victims endure at the hands of their abusers.

Victims spend most of their lives living in fear with real danger they will be seriously hurt or even killed if they speak out about what is happening to them. As a result, they are unlikely to tell colleagues about it and, if anyone airs suspicions, they will probably deny anything is wrong. Combined with guilt and shame, that is the power their abusers hold over them.

Even for those who admit that something is wrong, finding the courage to leave or report it to the police can be a step too far.

As part of the 16 days of action, companies are being urged to do more to help employees who endure domestic violence, to train those who witness it, and to protect staff as a whole.

Each day will have a different theme:

•  What is domestic violence – How does it impact the workplace?
•  How do I get bosses to engage?
•  Violence against women
•  Impact on children
•  LGBT & domestic violence
•  Bystander to domestic violence
•  Mental health & domestic violence
•  Depression & domestic violence in the workplace
•  Men who endure violence
•  Perpetrators
•  FGM
•  Honour-based violence
•  Stalking and harassment
•  Coercive control/emotional abuse
•  Elder abuse
•  Financial control

That is a lot to take in, but it is part of what victims can go through every day and is why it is such a difficult problem to tackle.

And the scale of the problem is even more frightening:

• 25% of women and 16% of men are affected by domestic violence during their adult lifetimes
• 58% of abused women miss at least three days of work a month
• 33% of all domestic violence homicides happens on workplace grounds
• 56% of abused women arrive late for work at least five times
• 7% of women and 5% of men in England and Wales experienced domestic violence in the past year alone
• £2bn is the annually cost to businesses of domestic violence and abuse

Headlines like this in the Manchester Evening News help put faces to the figures and show the human cost of domestic violence: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/head-over-heels-love-him-19303587

While anyone could spot the signs, line managers are in a key position to spot the warning signs of abuse, such as lateness and absence, slip in performance and change in behaviour. The victim might be receiving an increasing number of personal calls or texts, or receiving disruptive personal visits. They may be wearing makeup or clothes to disguise and cover injuries.

By spotting the warning signs, a good line manager can gently work with the person to build up their trust and confidence, and ultimately report their abuser.

This is an excellent campaign and by taking a bit of time to notice colleagues, you could be doing something that could change or even save lives.

#16daysofaction #signthepledge #domesticviolence