I encourage everyone to gain awareness of the signs of domestic violence so that you can be an ally in the workplace. A few signs, based on my experience, include: taking frequent breaks to the restroom; taking more days off than usual without a clear explanation; behaving in a manner indicating fear; appearing more sad or solemn than usual; being easily startled; and the appearance of bruises.

(Additional signs are catalogued by The National Domestic Violence Hotline and include best practices on approaching a possible abuse victim in your workplace.)

Yet there are multiple forms of abuse, and not all are physical. Other forms include emotional, verbal, and financial abuse, which may be difficult to identify.

I devised the acronym SAFE to help you remember a few ways to demonstrate your allyship:

S-Security Managers and other leaders: I encourage you to create psychological and physical safety for the victim, who may be found in a position at any level, from the front line to the C-suite. Domestic violence does not discriminate by sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or socioeconomic status.

A-Allyship and Awareness HR leaders: Demonstrate allyship by acknowledging the barriers that are faced when leaving a domestic violence relationship and create safety nets for employees in this situation. For example, companies should recommend a mechanism to provide financial assistance to employees in crisis or an employee donation pool for this purpose. In the Catalyst research report Promises vs. Progress: 2 Keys to Keeping Employees to Feeling Good and Staying Put, Bank of America‘s their allyship and advocacy by supporting their employees in navigating significant work-life events, such as support for survivors of domestic violence.

F-Foster HR leaders: Foster a culture of volunteerism. If your organization offers paid time off for volunteer hours, encourage employees to donate their time to a local domestic violence shelter. Maintain a shared folder of resources for managers and colleagues in case a team member exhibits signs of domestic abuse.

E-Empathy Everyone: Demonstrate empathy at all times for the survivor as they work through the situation and transition into their “new normal,” which can take weeks, months, or years. Catalyst encourages all leaders to connect with members of their team not only to lead inclusively but also to stay informed about challenges they may be facing outside of work.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. According to The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, one in three women and one in four men is a victim of domestic violence. With rates this high, some of your fellow colleagues may very well be victims.

How to be an ally at work to survivors of domestic violence