Seventy-five percent of abused women who work report that their partners harass them at work - by calling or faxing frequently, by showing up at the office, or hanging out in the parking lot. It is in your employer's interest to keep you safe and productive and protect the work site from violence.
- Inform your supervisor, your office's security force, and/or the Employee Assistance Program about your situation.
- If you have an Order of Protection, give your employer a copy, with a photo of your abuser if possible.
- See if/how your calls can be screened.
- Transfer to another branch of your business if possible.
- Work out a safe way to get to your car or other transportation when you leave work.
- Vary your routine, your route to and from work, and where you park.
Protect your children
- If you have an Order of Protection that includes your children, be sure that all relevant people have copies: your children's school or day care, babysitter and religious education teachers. Caretakers should know not to release your child to anyone but you.
- Petition Family Court for custody of your children. Keep copies of the custody order, and give them to the same people to whom you give the Order of Protection.
- Include your children when you develop a safety plan.
- Keep current clear photographs of your children, like school photos, somewhere safe for identification purposes. Most children are foot printed at birth. Keep a copy of that record, or know where to get it.
- Keep your children's birth certificates and/or passports in a safe place where your partner can't get them. Notify your passport office that you have an Order of Protection and you do not want new passports issued that would enable your abuser to leave the country with your children.
- If you think it's a risk to leave your children alone with your abuser, seek supervised visitation. Have the court specify a safe, public pick-up/drop-off place that does not reveal where you live to your abuser.
- Teach your children how to get in touch with you or another safe person if they are apart from you and feel they are in danger.
- Believe your children if they describe abuse during visitation. Document any incidents that occur during the visitation exchange or the visit itself.