Free access to new resource supporting staff experiencing domestic abuse

Education and training company Soundproof Box is offering businesses free access to brand new resources in return for their feedback.

With nearly a quarter of the workforce facing some form of relationship abuse, the cost to the economy is an estimated £14 billion arising from time off work and reduced productivity. Yet many organisations are unsure about how to respond.

New resources, designed by staff at Soundproof Box who have directly experienced domestic abuse, aim to educate organisations on the impact on employees and clients, and what they can do to help. Soundproof Box is offering free, early access in return for feedback.

Soundproof Box CEO Lise Kay-Bell had a breakdown after surviving two consecutive abusive relationships. She says: “This is a widespread problem, with an estimated 2.1 million men and women experiencing domestic abuse in 2023 and over a fifth of women off work at any one time. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t include it in their overall approach to employee and client wellbeing, often because it’s such a sensitive subject and they don’t know where to start. These resources present a great opportunity to formulate a plan, with practical support grounded in our lived experience”.

While few businesses would dispute the moral reasons for supporting staff experiencing abuse, many feel unsure and uninformed about how to spot the signs, or how to address its impact. The resources Soundproof Box has developed contain straightforward advice with insights from those who have been directly impacted, plus practical information on:

• The early signs that an employee might be affected by domestic violence
• How to broach the topic in a sensitive manner
• The support a business might be able to offer

Continues Lise: “Our mission is to eliminate patterns of abuse and educate society, including businesses, on the role they have to play. These resources aim to make this easier, and testing them offers a solid opportunity for businesses of all sizes to take a more proactive approach. Not only will this help them demonstrate their standing as a caring employer, it will also support them to minimise the associated impact on productivity.”

For more information on how to access the new resources, visit soundproofbox.org/contact/