Domestic abuse: guidance for people professionals on supporting employees

Domestic abuse can destroy lives, leaving physical and emotional scars. Those experiencing domestic abuse can find themselves isolated from friends and family and lose their independence. It can take many forms, not just physical abuse. It can also include, but is not limited to, financial, emotional and psychological abuse, as well as coercive control.

Domestic abuse has an impact at work. Domestic abuse can negatively affect those abused as well as their workplace colleagues. However, importantly, the workplace can often be one of the few places that a person experiencing abuse can be separate from their abuser and experience some independence. This means that work can be the place where people can ask for and access support, and feel safe to speak about their experience.

It’s essential that employers are knowledgeable about domestic abuse as they are ideally placed to offer key support. The aim of this guidance is to encourage more employers to take an active supporting role.

Why act now on domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse can affect anyone

Domestic abuse is cruel and complex and can affect anyone. Domestic abuse associated crimes remain one of the most prevalent crimes in England and Wales. An estimated 2.4 million adults aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2022. Over two-thirds of these were women.

In Scotland in 2021/22, the police recorded 64,807 incidents of domestic abuse. Where gender information was recorded, around four out of every five incidents involved a female victim and a male suspected perpetrator. However, 15% of incidents involved a male victim and a female suspected perpetrator.

Men are much more likely to be perpetrators, but men also experience domestic abuse and domestic abuse also occurs in same-sex relationships. Disabled women are almost twice as likely as non-disabled women to be affected by domestic abuse, according to the Crime Survey England and Wales, and some ethnic minority groups are also more at risk.

It’s important not to make assumptions about what someone might be experiencing. Domestic abuse is often a pattern of abusive behaviour/incidents that goes on for a number of years, but can be a single incident. It is also not limited to physical violence. Domestic abuse can include repeated patterns of abusive behaviour to maintain power and control in a relationship, known as coercive control.

Why is domestic abuse a workplace issue?

Domestic abuse has an impact at work

Research by the TUC highlighted that over 40% of those who had experienced domestic abuse were prevented from getting to work by their abuser, most commonly through physical violence or restraint (72%) followed by threats (68%).

Domestic abuse can negatively affect those being abused while they are at work, as well as their colleagues. For example:

An employee can experience domestic abuse while they are at work through threatening phone calls and emails.
An employee may experience abuse when travelling to and from work.
Domestic abuse can affect an employee’s performance, attendance, career prospects and job security.
Colleagues can experience threatening or intimidating behaviour from the perpetrator.

Employers are in a strong position to create a safe and supportive workplace culture

A duty of care

Employers have a duty of care for the health, safety and wellbeing of their staff and are in a strong position to create a safe and supportive workplace environment.

Further, the UN Women guidance on domestic abuse in light of the COVID-19 pandemic recommends that a workplace policy on domestic abuse include a domestic abuse workplace risk assessment and safety planning as an integral part of occupational safety and health within organisations. If an organisation does not have in-house specialist knowledge on domestic abuse and the appropriate safety planning, it can enlist the help of domestic abuse services/ professionals to carry out any such risk assessment.

If domestic abuse is disclosed, where possible, working environments should provide flexible and adaptable measures that meet the needs of people experiencing domestic abuse. This may include considerations on personal safety, working hours, enhanced needs in respect of confidentiality (for example when an individual identifies as LGBT+) and appropriateness of response and support services in terms of, for example, sex, ethnic background, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation and language.

It is important to note each person’s needs are different and that any measures should only be used with the authorisation/consent of the individual concerned.

In particular, employers should in particular take reasonable steps to prevent an employee from being targeted by their abuser at work.

Good people management can be vital

Being a good employer includes supporting staff through new or difficult periods in their lives. People experiencing domestic abuse can be subject to disciplinary action, sickness absence management or performance management and lose their jobs because their behaviour, such as being late for work, absent from work, or their underperforming, is misinterpreted. However, a steady income is often key to a survivor’s economic independence and their opportunity to escape from an abusive relationship. Employees may feel unable to raise domestic abuse in a formal disciplinary or performance hearing. So, it is important that managers know how to spot the signs of domestic abuse and that employees are given a full opportunity in an appropriate setting to raise any underlying issues that may be causing their behaviour or underperformance.

And an inclusive approach is vital

Just as all people management approaches should be inclusive, it’s important to look at your domestic abuse policy and the support you provide with an inclusion lens. There may be additional barriers to disclosure that are unique to certain communities (such as race, disability, LGBT+), which may make it harder for people to feel comfortable coming forward to talk about domestic abuse. If organisations build open cultures that take equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) seriously, this will help people to have the confidence to disclose personal information around domestic abuse to their organisation and managers. It also means that they will be more confident asking for support, as they know the issue will be taken seriously and they will be treated in a supportive and fair way.

Effective frameworks around domestic abuse support make a difference

We recommend that organisations have a domestic abuse policy in place, develop an effective framework around domestic abuse support and create supportive, open cultures that help to break the silence around this important issue. Where an organisation has a recognised trade union, policies should be reviewed and agreed with union representatives.

Having a domestic abuse workplace framework and policy and widely communicating it, as well as what support is available, can clearly demonstrate domestic abuse is not tolerated within or outside the workplace. The next section of this guide outlines what a framework of support may look like.

Developing an effective framework around domestic abuse support

Here we suggest a framework of support consisting of four key steps. Under each step of the framework we propose some actions employers can take to manage domestic abuse in the workplace, with benefits for both employees and employers. In many cases the support needed is about being aware, offering flexibility and signposting to the organisations that provide specialist support. Large budgets aren’t required, so even with limited resources there are steps that small business owners can take to support their staff.

Recognise the problem

Look for sudden changes in behaviour and/or changes in the quality of work performance for unexplained reasons despite a previously strong record.
Look for changes in the way an employee dresses, for example excessive clothing on hot days, changes in the amount of make-up worn. This is obviously not as easy to do with remote working but could be picked up in video meetings.
Domestic abuse is often a hidden problem and individuals can find it very difficult to disclose. Some employees might not think they are experiencing domestic abuse and might not use these words to describe their experiences. However, they might talk about behaviour from their partner that is violent, abusive or coercively controlling. Ask open and empathetic questions, such as:

- How are you doing at the moment?
- How are things at home?
- Are there any issues you’d like to discuss with me?
- I have noticed recently that you are not yourself. Is anything the matter?

In some cases employees may make a disclosure to their union representative – make sure that your organisation has a set process for involving unions, where relevant, in the development of their domestic abuse policies and how to support employees if they disclose to a union representative.
Treat everyone as an individual as everyone’s situation will be different. It’s important not to make assumptions about what someone is experiencing or what they need. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, and although more women are affected, it can happen to men and in same-sex relationships.
Be careful raising things when are people working from home, as the abuser might be monitoring the employee’s email or other methods of communication. Even asking open questions in an email, or in a call when it’s not known who else is listening, might ring alarm bells with the abuser and cause more abuse.
There are a wide range of behaviours that constitute abuse and so it is important that employees are provided with training on what to look for.

Respond appropriately to disclosure

Show empathy and compassion when responding to an employee’s disclosure of experiencing domestic abuse. Think about how you might best be able to do this if working remotely and how you might continue to show that support when you aren’t sharing a workspace.
Believe an employee if they disclose experiencing domestic abuse – do not ask for proof.
Don’t make assumptions about what someone is experiencing or what they need. This includes not assuming the gender of someone’s partner.
Reassure the employee that the organisation understands how domestic abuse may affect their work performance and outline the support that can be offered.
Make clear that although the aim is to ensure that your conversation will be confidential, some degree of information-sharing may be necessary (for example with their manager).
If the survivor and perpetrator work in the same business, the perpetrator could have access to personal information, depending on their role. So, in this circumstance, you could consider making personal records case-sensitive and set a request for permission to access records associated with the survivor.

Provide support

Make sure that line managers are checking in frequently with employees so that they can raise any concerns or worries, offer support such as flexibility, and signpost them to professional support. This is even more important for remote workers who are likely to feel more isolated and are potentially more vulnerable.
Line managers should ask the individual about what support they need and regularly check in with that question, as the support they need may change over time as circumstances change. Let the individual take the lead in what they want to talk about and what they think the problem is.
Ask the individual about the best way to keep in contact with them, for example which communication methods are private and which they have easy access to.
Offer flexibility in working hours to enable an employee to sort out financial, housing, legal and childcare issues. The flexibility required may differ in the short and longer term.
Offer paid leave (up to 10 days per year is offered by some forward-thinking companies) in addition to other leave entitlements.
Divert phone calls and email messages and look to change a phone extension if an employee is receiving harassing calls.
Look at security measures, including how non-employees access the building to ensure people can’t just walk in. Ensure that information about the employee's whereabouts is not available (such as on the organisation's website).
Agree with the employee what to tell colleagues and how they should respond if their abuser telephones or visits the workplace or is present during a virtual meeting.
Ensure the employee does not work alone or in an isolated area and check that they have arrangements for getting safely to and from home.
Support an individual’s request to get advice on where and how to obtain a protection/ barring order that covers the workplace.
Think about specific areas of the work environment where their physical safety may be at risk, for example the workplace car park.
With the consent of the employee, you could agree code words, or hand signals in video calls, so if they don’t come into the office, or if they are in a threatening situation while working at home, there are set phrases both parties can say to enable them to flag if they are in danger. Also agree what action a signal requires, for example if to call the police, or if to provide information about available support.
Keep a record of any incidents of abuse in the workplace, including persistent telephone calls, emails or visits to the workplace or any concerns that the employee reports, as well as anything that occurs around the workplace, such as during travel to and from work or to meetings not held in the usual place of work. Also record the support offered.
Share domestic abuse helpline posters (such as Refuge's poster resources) in physical and virtual spaces (such as on the back of toilet doors, your intranet, and so on).
Consider if there are ways that you can offer financial support, such as providing interest-free loans to cover immediate financial costs, like deposits for new housing. Also think about providing emergency financial support to help someone facing an immediate crisis, for example, through a salary advance.
Employees experiencing domestic abuse may need to leave their area of usual work to escape the perpetrator, and/or to receive additional support. In these cases, managers should work with the employee and senior staff to find ways for the survivor to keep their role, or move to a comparable one. This may involve working in a different office, from home, and so on.

It’s important to note that some of these measures should only be used with the authorisation of the individual concerned. All support options should be survivor oriented, and the person’s wishes, safety and wellbeing should take priority in all matters and procedures.

Refer to the appropriate help

It is important to be clear on the role and responsibilities of both HR and people managers and set boundaries. For example, managers should not adopt the role of counsellor, but rather they should signpost employees to specialist help.
Have a list of the support services that are easily accessible and refer employees to appropriate organisations that deal with domestic abuse.
HR and line managers may want to research local sources of support themselves to gain a better understanding of what is available.
It’s also important to think about how organisations can support the wellbeing of all employees (whether HR, people managers, or colleagues/friends) involved in supporting domestic abuse survivors. It’s worth emphasising what specific support is available to them and what they can do to look after their own wellbeing during this period (such as accessing employee assistance programmes/occupational health services if organisations have them or making use of different external helplines, (such as the Mind Infoline). Many of the specialist organisations listed below also provide advice and guidance for these key support staff.

The role of HR, people managers and employees

It’s important to outline people’s different roles and responsibilities in relation to supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse. This will mean that everyone is clear on how they can provide support.

HR should take central responsibility for developing a policy and procedures on domestic abuse.

The HR team should also review and update other policies, procedures and practices that are linked and could affect the implementation of a domestic abuse policy, for example an EDI policy (which should help support people to disclose any domestic abuse issues, no matter their background, identity or circumstance) and a flexible working policy (which could be used to make adjustments to work patterns, where helpful).

HR should also seek to provide ad hoc advice about supporting people experiencing domestic abuse to line managers and employees, as necessary.

HR should also introduce training, wherever possible, to raise awareness of the issues relating to domestic abuse and highlight the support the organisation offers. Training can give HR and managers an appreciation of how experiencing domestic abuse can affect someone at work. It can also cover how disruptive it can be to come out of an abusive relationship, often leaving with nothing, leaving the local area, their routine, support networks and the person may be taking children with them too.

HR may want to complement formal training with a ‘lunch and learn’ style awareness session for staff to inform people about the issue in general as well as the organisation’s approach and the support available. It’s also important to regularly remind staff of the domestic abuse policy.

People managers

People managers should be familiar with the organisation’s policy and guidance on supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse and understand their own and the organisation’s responsibilities in relation to it. However, they shouldn't be expected to be experts on the issue or to act as counsellors.

Managers should also be clear on the practical steps outlined in this guidance to encourage the disclosure and discussion of abuse and identify appropriate support that individuals might need. But there should also be a point of contact in HR for advice when required.

Managers can also assist in recording details of incidents in the workplace. In addition, they need to ensure that all employees are aware of the organisation’s approach.

Tips on how to ask difficult and sensitive questions

Managers should foster an environment where employees feel able to disclose and should be trained so they are able to facilitate a conversation to discuss this and identify and implement appropriate support. Shying away from the subject can perpetuate fear of stigma and increase feelings of anxiety. The following tips can help managers with these difficult and sensitive conversations.

Managers should ask the employee indirect questions, to help establish a relationship with the employee and develop empathy. Here are some questions that could be used:

How are you doing at the moment? Are there any issues you would like to discuss with me?

I have noticed recently that you are not yourself. Is anything the matter?
Are there any problems or reasons that may be contributing to your frequent sickness absence/underperformance at work?
Is everything alright at home?
What support do you think might help? What would you like to happen? How?

Remind managers to avoid victim-blaming. It is important that managers are able to provide a non-judgemental and supportive environment. Respecting the employee’s boundaries and privacy is essential. Respect an employee’s decisions about their relationship and understand that a victim of domestic abuse may make several attempts to leave their partner before they are finally able to do so. It’s important that managers are aware of the effects of coercive control and definitions of types of abusive behaviours.

A manager's role is not to deal with the abuse itself or to act as a counsellor but to address the workplace effects of domestic abuse by making it clear to employees that they will be supported, making them aware of the workplace policy, outlining what help is available, and signposting them to professional sources of support.

If a disclosure of domestic abuse is made, managers should make clear to the victim how and why they may need to share information with others in order to ensure they can access support, and what information will be shared. Where possible, the employer should respect the wishes of the employee if they do not want information to be shared.

Confidentiality

Managers are responsible for ensuring information is not disclosed to colleagues and that all employees are aware of their responsibilities in relation to confidentiality. This is particularly important for members of the LGBT+ community, where individuals might not have disclosed their sexual orientation and/or gender identity to their work colleagues. If information is disclosed against the wishes of the employee, this could compound any harm caused by the abuse and have a detrimental effect on future disclosures from other staff members.

However, confidentiality is a complex matter and there may be circumstances in which confidentiality cannot be assured but where the employer should take action because the risk of not taking action is so significant. These situations occur when there are concerns about children or vulnerable adults, or where the employer needs to act to protect the safety of employees. In circumstances where the employer has to breach confidentiality, it should seek specialist advice before doing so. If the employer decides to proceed in breaching confidentiality after having taken advice, the employer should discuss with the employee why it is doing so, and that it will seek the employee’s agreement where possible. Ideally the employer will have a domestic abuse policy that should address confidentiality and when the employer may need to breach this.

Even without a policy in place, when assessing the relative risk of the options regarding breaching confidentiality, the employer should ask:

Have they considered and exhausted all other possible options?
What will the impact on the employee be if they override their wishes?
What are the potential risks to the employee, their colleagues and others (such as the employee’s children) if the employer does not take further action?
What are the potential risks in the workplace that may affect colleagues?
What is the likelihood of the matter being resolved without intervention by the employer?

Employees

Organisations should support employees to take basic steps to assist their friends and colleagues where they feel able to do so. By behaving in a supportive and empathetic manner, an employee can assist an affected colleague in gaining confidence to tackle and report the problems that they might experience. See also Women’s Aid’s helpful advice around ‘I’m worried about someone else’.

Some organisations have introduced domestic abuse allies/champions in their workplaces who are specially trained in dealing with disclosures of domestic abuse and will be able to offer confidential support. They can support an individual to speak with their line manager or HR team, either on their behalf or by attending meetings with the individual. They can also signpost the individual to specialist agencies. However, as with line managers and HR, they are not trained specialists or counsellors and should not assume those roles or try to solve the individual’s problems.

What should a domestic abuse policy contain?

Below are key areas that can be included within a domestic abuse workplace policy. It is important that all organisations develop their own workplace policy to reflect the needs of their employees.

General points

Adopt a supportive tone.
Recognise that everyone’s circumstances and experiences will be different.
Keep the language gender neutral and don’t make assumptions about the gender of someone’s partner.
Get feedback on your policy from minority groups and specialist organisations to ensure it is inclusive.

To raise awareness

A policy statement and/or organisation commitment which opposes all forms of domestic abuse	This can include a commitment to treat domestic abuse seriously, understand the risks and consequences in the workplace, fully support colleagues and take action against perpetrators of domestic abuse.
A clear definition of what domestic abuse is	It’s important to adopt an inclusive stance, for example saying that although the majority of those experiencing domestic abuse are women, men can also be abused, and it can happen in same-sex relationships as well as opposite-sex relationships. You may wish to draw on the relevant legal definition.
Statistics to demonstrate the extent and prevalence of domestic abuse	National statistics can be used, and by involving local voluntary groups it may be possible to get statistics for your region or area.
Clear indicators to identify domestic abuse	According to Jaffe et al. (1986), on average a woman will experience 35 episodes of domestic abuse before seeking help. Using clear examples and indicators of domestic abuse can make managers aware of the possibility that domestic abuse may be the cause of a number of workplace issues. For example, a possible sign of domestic abuse could be a high absenteeism rate without an explanation or a dip in performance. Although this should not be used as a checklist, and managers should not jump to conclusions, indicators can act as a prompt for managers to ask open-ended questions about an employee’s wellbeing and for appropriate support to be offered.
Regular review date	Regular reviews will gauge how the policy is working for employees and managers. However, it may be difficult to monitor the uptake of this policy because of the need to maintain confidentiality.

To identify responsibilities

Clarify the specific roles and responsibilities for managers	This can include practical steps to encourage the disclosure and discussion of abuse and identify appropriate support. Managers should endeavour to support those experiencing domestic abuse in a sympathetic, non-judgemental and confident manner. They can also assist in recording details of incidents in the workplace.
Clarify the specific roles and responsibilities for the HR team	This can ensure a central responsibility for developing a policy and procedures on domestic abuse. The HR team can pledge to review and update other policies, procedures and practices that are linked and could affect the implementation of a domestic abuse policy. They should also be responsible for providing guidance or support to managers or signposting individuals to support if they come to them directly.
Clarify the specific roles and responsibilities of employees	If they feel able to, this can allow employees to take basic steps to assist friends and colleagues. By behaving in a supportive manner, an employee can assist an affected colleague in gaining confidence to tackle and report the problems that they might experience.
A commitment to challenge employees who perpetrate domestic abuse	This recognises that abusive behaviour is the responsibility of the perpetrator. Employees should be aware that misconduct inside and outside of work is viewed seriously – and that domestic abuse is a serious matter that can lead to disciplinary action being taken. However, it may also be appropriate to support an employee who is seeking help to address their behaviour.
An obligation to prioritise confidentiality wherever possible	Managers are responsible for ensuring information is not disclosed and that all employees are aware of their responsibilities in relation to confidentiality. It should be made clear that improper disclosure of information by any member of staff will be taken very seriously and may be subject to disciplinary action. There are exceptions when confidentiality can be broken, for example when there are safety concerns.

To ensure provision of support and safety

Clear information on practical and supportive measures in the workplace	There can be a number of clear steps identified which will ensure that those experiencing domestic abuse are able to work in a safe and supported workplace. This may include diverting phone calls or alerting reception and security staff. Links can also be made to an employee assistance programme.
An assurance to prioritise health and safety at work	The dangers of domestic abuse should not be underestimated. Employers should make an assessment of risks relating to domestic abuse. Existing risk management frameworks, traditionally used in the workplace health and safety context, could be used for this process. Assessments should identify the risks and the control measures identified to minimise the risks. Risks may include, for example, employees working from home, or the workplace being open to the public. If domestic abuse is disclosed, undertaking a risk assessment can ensure that the potential risk to employees and colleagues is lessened. It is important to note each person’s needs are different and that any measures should only be used with the authorisation/consent of the individual concerned.
Link the domestic abuse policy to other workplace policies	Making links with existing policies, for example a flexible working policy can allow, for example, individuals to change working patterns; special leave may help to facilitate any practical arrangements. An EDI policy can encourage people with any identity, background or circumstance to come forward and ask for support.
Details of domestic abuse link staff and contact details	This recognises that staff may not wish to go through line managers or HR advisers. Having key link staff means they can be approached in confidence to discuss issues relating to domestic abuse. They would not be counsellors but be provided with specific training and have clear responsibilities to signpost people to get help.
A clear commitment to provide training to all staff on the implications of domestic abuse in the workplace and what the domestic abuse policy offers	This will ensure that all staff are aware of domestic abuse, the policy and the support it offers. Local domestic abuse experts are key partners to assist in providing this training. More detailed training can be provided to managers.
A commitment to distribute the policy to all employees	Through training, awareness sessions and the intranet, all staff should be made aware of the policy and its aims. This can include displaying posters and including information on domestic abuse within other training sessions, for example harassment and bullying.
Information on relocation	Women’s Aid suggest that survivors may need to leave their area of usual work in order to escape the perpetrator, and/or to receive additional support. In these cases, managers should work with the employee and senior staff to find ways for the survivor to keep their role, or move to a comparable one. This may involve working in a different office, from home, and so on.
Details of financial support	Women’s Aid suggest that employees experiencing domestic abuse may face considerable financial hardship. Abusers may be denying them access to their finances, or they may have concerns about leaving a violent relationship and finding alternative accommodation. A salary advancement or making changes to the method of salary payment should be considered in such cases. Referral to a financial advisor may also be made with the employee’s consent.
A list of local and national support and advice agency contacts	This will give staff experiencing domestic abuse the opportunity to access vital advice on financial, health and housing issues as well as legal assistance.
A designated contact for further information on the policy	This will allow employees to identify a person who can signpost colleagues to the most appropriate sources of advice.

A commitment to challenge employees who perpetrate domestic abuse

It may be possible for disciplinary action to be taken in response to misconduct outside of work with potential sanctions, up to and including dismissal. Organisations may wish to implement a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy in relation to domestic abuse which includes this commitment. This commitment recognises that abusive behaviour is the responsibility of the perpetrator. Employees should be aware that misconduct inside and outside of work is viewed extremely seriously – and can lead to disciplinary action being taken and potentially result in dismissal.

In most cases, and to ensure that any sanctions are found to be fair, it will be necessary for an employer to carry out an investigation of the facts and hold a disciplinary hearing. Ideally employers will have a domestic abuse policy which works in conjunction with the disciplinary and dismissal policy and makes clear the circumstances in which misconduct may lead to disciplinary action being taken against the employee. This will help avoid allegations that they have treated the employee unfairly.

Among the key points that should be considered are whether the employee’s misconduct was linked to work in any way, or whether conduct outside work has destroyed the employer’s trust in the employee’s ability to perform their role. Some abuse may undermine the employee’s suitability to perform their role, may render the employee unable to perform their role (for example due to a custodial sentence), or may bring the employer into disrepute.

Employers should be aware that even if an employee is convicted for criminal conduct, it does not automatically mean that they can be dismissed for gross misconduct. Employers should always ensure that they follow relevant policies and procedures and that any decision to dismiss is reasonable and based upon full consideration of the evidence and relevant circumstances. Employers will reduce the legal risk of dismissal where they have designated policies in place which specify that criminal conduct will usually be considered as gross misconduct.

The domestic abuse policy should link to other workplace policies and needs to cover a wide range of matters; even employer’s equipment could be used for online abuse or stalking an ex-partner during working time, so employers need to protect themselves from accusations of potential vicarious liability as far as possible.

Depending on the legal framework where your organisation operates, consideration will need to be given as to what effect the charge or conviction has had on the employment relationship, as set out above.

In some situations, the abuser and the survivor may work together and work-related abuse may occur, including verbal abuse and threats, as well as physical violence. Employers have a duty of care with regards to safety at work. If an employer knows that a fellow employee threatens another (whether they are in a relationship or not) and fails to take action to prevent the abuse, this may constitute a breach of contract and could result in potential claims, including constructive (unfair) dismissal, discrimination / harassment or personal injury.

Employees need to be aware that domestic abuse is a serious matter that can lead to disciplinary action. However, employers have a duty of care to all employees, and alleged perpetrators of domestic abuse should be dealt with in a fair way. As with other criminal offences, the perpetrator may be protected from having their conviction disclosed. It may also be appropriate to support an employee who is seeking help to address their behaviour. Respect provides confidential and honest advice to help perpetrators stop being violent.