Answers to tricky HR questions: Employees and domestic abuse

Our team of experts fields real-life, everyday questions from HR managers and gives practical answers that can be applied by any HR pro in the same situation. Today’s issue: What to do when you suspect an employee is a victim of domestic violence.

The question

What are the proper steps to take if we think one of our employees is the victim of domestic violence?

The answer

There are several things you can do, according to attorneys Lauri Rasnick and Margaret Thering, writing on the Employer Defense Law Blog. Here are steps to consider:

• Adopt policies that encourage staff concerned about domestic violence to seek protection in the workplace without fear of retaliation.
• Include domestic violence victims as a protected class in your policies. Several jurisdictions, including New York, prohibit bias against victims of domestic violence.
• Depending on the severity of the violence, employees may fall under the protections of the FMLA or ADA in certain cases.
  Firms receiving requests for leave or accommodations for victims should consider whether there are federal legal requirements in responding to such requests.