Develop a Safety Plan in case of emergency - Safety Plans are important for identifying options, evaluating options, and developing a detailed plan to reduce your risk when confronted with the threat of harm or actual harm.

Safety plans can be tailored to the home, the workplace, school, court, and other locations. Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) professional or local domestic violence service provider will have copies of sample safety plans that can be used as a guide.

Important things to consider for inclusion on the safety plan:

• Inform people(friends, family, neighbors) about your situation so they are prepared to react to suspected violence.
• Put together an emergency bag with keys, money, medicine, and important papers such as birth certificates, immigration documents, and medical cards. Keep it somewhere safe and easily accessible, such as with a trusted friend.
• Plan an emergency exit route from home and work, and learn safe places to go for help and support in case of emergency.
• Talk with your children about what they should do if a violent incident occurs or if they feel scared. Teach children when and how to dial the police and how to provide information, such as the address of your house in case of emergency.
• Remove all weapons from your home.
• Consider obtaining a protective order from police.
• Take photographs of your scars and/or bruises and keep them in a safe hiding place, away from the abuser.
• Enroll yourself in a reliable self-defense course and practice the skills you learn.

Trust your instincts.

Don’t hesitate to contact the emergency police in a crisis, especially if you are being battered. Domestic violence is a not a private family matter, it is a crime.

Seek out support.

You don’t have to suffer alone. Help is available if and when you are ready. Talk with family, friends, the EAP, and your supervisor for information and resources to help stop the abuse.

For an example of a more detailed ‘Personalized Safety Plan,’ see Responding to Domestic Violence: Where Federal Employees Can Go For Help (U.S. Office of Personnel Management, page 13 of 33). 

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Things You Can Do in the Workplace...
     If You Are A Victim of Domestic Violence or Abuse

• Contact your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) professional for confidential consultation, counseling, support, safety planning, and links to workplace and community resources.
• Notify your supervisor and Security about your situation, allow a neutral person to assess the risk for violence in the workplace, and submit a recent photograph of the abuser to security in the event of a confrontation at work.
• Discuss work options such as flexible scheduling, telecommuting, safety precautions, and employee benefits such as leave or flex time with your supervisor.
• Save any threatening emails or voicemail messages. You may want to use them to support possible legal action taken in the future.
• Review the safety of your parking location and your work environment and make changes if necessary.
• Review the safety of your childcare arrangements, whether it is on-site or off-site childcare. If you have a restraining order, it can usually be extended to the childcare center.