Episode 7: When Domestic Violence Comes to Work—Understanding Spillover Risk

Domestic violence doesn’t always stay at home. When it spills into the workplace, it can look like nonstop calls and emails, a surprise visit to the lobby, a threat in the parking lot, or sabotage that quietly wrecks someone’s ability to do their job. I’m April Hardy, a survivor and advocate, and I’m walking you through what “spillover risk” really means and why it’s a workplace safety issue, not just a personal problem.

We break down five common spillover patterns employers need to recognize: communication harassment, physical intrusion, sabotage, threats to coworkers or management, and workplace violence. You’ll also hear why tragedies often follow recognizable warning signs like stalking and escalation, plus the real-world gap that shows up when organizations only respond after something goes wrong. I share key domestic violence statistics that matter for HR, managers, and business leaders, and why underreporting and fear of disclosure mean the true risk is often higher than your data suggests.

I also share personal experience of how abuse destabilizes employment through forced moves, childcare barriers, and threats that hit during the workday, because trauma doesn’t clock out when a shift starts. Then we get practical: the mistakes to avoid, what a strong domestic violence workplace policy can include, how to set up confidential reporting, visitor management, manager training, emergency planning, and physical security measures like access control and lighting. We close with a case study where a hospital’s safety plan helps prevent harm when an abuser shows up.

Download the free workplace safety checklist at IncasImurdered.com/safe work, and if you want deeper support, learn about the Safe Work Advantage program. Subscribe, share this with a leader in your network, and leave a review so more workplaces can build prevention before a crisis hits.

Transcript

Why Spillover Risk Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Episode 7, When Domestic Violence Comes to Work, Understanding Spillover Risk. Welcome to the Safe Work Advantage podcast, where we help HR professionals, managers, and business leaders create safer, more supportive workplaces for employees facing domestic violence. I'm April Hardy, survivor, advocate, and founder of In Case I'm Murdered LLC. And this show is where compassion meets compliance and safety meets strategy.

Defining Workplace Spillover

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When a staff member is in danger at home, that danger doesn't always stay there. It follows victims to work through harassing phone calls, surprise visits, threats to coworkers, and even physical violence in the workplace. This is what we call spillover, and it puts your employees, customers, and business at risk.

Five Ways Abuse Shows Up

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Type number one, communication harassment. The abuser floods the victim's work phone, email, or messaging apps with calls and texts. This disrupts productivity, creates visible distress, and can escalate into threats. Type number two, physical intrusion. The abuser shows up at the workplace unannounced, waiting in the parking lot, entering the building, or confronting the victim in front of others. This creates safety risks for everyone present. Type number three, sabotage. The abuser undermines the victim's ability to work, hiding keys, causing mischiefs, damaging materials, or spreading false information to the employer. Type number four, threats to coworkers or management. The abuser may intimidate or threaten anyone who tries to help the victim, creating fear across the workplace. Type number five, workplace violence. In the most extreme cases, abusers commit acts of violence at the workplace itself, targeting the victim and sometimes others who are present.

Warning Signs And A Fatal Case

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Domestic violence-related tragedies often follow patterns of prior stalking or threats if you happen to know what to watch for and you have a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing. On the other hand, workplaces without preparation, policies, or training are the most vulnerable when spillover happens. That's why being proactive, not reactive, is key. That's why we're here, because this isn't theoretical. These patterns show up in workplaces with real consequences. In many cases, there are warning signs ahead of time, stalking, threats, escalation. But without awareness or a plan, those signals are missed. For example, in March of 2026 in Paducah, Philip Whitnell was extradited and served with an indictment for the murder of his estranged wife, Stephanie Stacy. Witnesses reported that he entered Casey's bar and grill, where Stephanie was working, and shot her multiple times before fleeing. Whitnell faces charges of murder relating to domestic violence and violation of a protection order, the very order that was meant to keep her safe. In the aftermath, her former employer sold shirts to raise money for her children. But there's no record of proactive safety measures being in place beforehand. And that's the gap we're talking about. What happens before a tragedy to prevent it versus what happens after?

Key Stats Employers Should Know

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Quick fact segment. Let's talk about a couple of statistics. One in four women have experienced severe intimate partner violence in their lifetime. That means victims and survivors are very likely already part of your workforce, whether you're aware of it or not. 21% of full-time employed adults report being victims of domestic violence. And while that number may seem lower than expected, it's important to understand the limitations behind it. First, that statistic only reflects full-time employees, when many workplaces rely heavily on part-time staff. And second, it only reflects those who are willing to disclose. Many victims never report their situation at all, so the reality is likely much higher. And then there's this 94% of those impacted say it negatively affected their ability to work. That means when an employee is dealing with domestic violence or stalking, it's not staying separate from their job. It's affecting their focus, their consistency, their stress levels, and their overall ability to perform. And in many cases, employers are seeing the effects without understanding the cause.

How Abuse Disrupts Real Work

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I can tell you from personal experience that there have been multiple points where my work life was directly impacted by what was happening at home. My abusive ex-husband and I moved constantly. In the three years we were together, we lived in multiple towns across several states, five in Nebraska alone, then Maryland, Alabama, Missouri, and several moves within Texas. That kind of instability makes it incredibly difficult to maintain consistent employment. I left jobs because we moved. I left jobs because he insisted. I stopped working as a 911 dispatcher because he wanted to buy a house in another city. I left a delivery job after just two weeks because he didn't want to care for our children while I worked. And then there were times when leaving a job was part of trying to survive. I quit a cleaning job while I was pregnant so I could leave him for the first time. There were also direct threats that followed me into my workday. While I was working as a dispatcher, he told me he was going to take our infant daughter and disappear, and he knew I couldn't leave my post without relief, so there was nothing I could do in that moment. I was responsible for responding to emergencies while living in one of my own. I did everything I could to stay focused and serve the public. But internally, I was struggling. And sometimes it wasn't just fear, it was reality unfolding in real time. There was a moment when he called me at work and told me that our infant daughter, who wasn't even able to roll over yet, had rolled off the bed and hit the hardwood floor. Another time I came home from work to find my dog, who I had had since I was a teenager, unable to stand. I learned at the vet that her legs were broken and she had to be put down. I was devastated. I learned later that he had caused it by kicking her down the stairs. That kind of trauma doesn't stay at home, it follows you into work. There were also times when I had no choice but to bring my children to work with me. As an employee, I couldn't afford childcare, so I took a lower-paying job that allowed me to bring my infant and toddler. But it didn't pay enough to live on, and eventually that led me back into the situation I was trying to escape. Later, when I was self-employed and running a cleaning business, my five-year-old, who had experienced trauma, had to come with me to work frequently. He would act out at the daycare to be sent home because being with me was the only place he felt safe. While it might sound sweet to be your child's refuge, it made it incredibly difficult to keep my business running. At the same time, I was dealing with my own trauma and being actively stalked while preparing for court. It was the hardest period of my life. There were days where I was cleaning other people's homes while quietly crying and no one knew. And that's really the point. Employers don't always see how difficult it is to maintain employment when everything outside of work is unstable or unsafe. So the question becomes: what do you do about it? How can employers prepare for the possibility of spillover without crossing privacy lines or overreacting?

Common Employer Mistakes

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First, common mistakes to avoid. 1. Don't assume that personal issues stay personal. Domestic violence is a personal issue that has public consequences. 2. Don't assume that traditional EAPs are enough here. Many of them require employer notification, which results in employees not using them. And even if they do try to use them, most are reactive, not proactive. Counselors help with the aftermath of trauma, not preventing the trauma from happening. 3. Don't make light of a victim's requests for help. Most victims are afraid to talk to their employers about their situation because they don't want to risk their job, so if they're coming to you for help, it's significant.

Policies And Training That Help

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Now here are some ideas for what you can do. 1. Train managers and front desk staff to recognize and report concerning behavior. Offer examples in training sessions, like a partner repeatedly calling or showing up unannounced. Help staff understand how to respond safely and respectfully. 2. Establish a visitor policy and enforce it consistently. Make sure all guests check in, wear badges, and are escorted. Don't make exceptions for familiar faces, that's often how abusers slip in. 3. Create a confidential reporting channel so employees can flag safety concerns without fear. This might be an HR email inbox, an anonymous tip form, or even a designated contact person. Make it easy and private. 4. Have an emergency plan for when someone reports a credible threat. Work with security or local law enforcement to develop and rehearse it. This should include lockdown procedures, evacuation routes, and designated safety contacts. 5. Review physical security measures. Are parking lots well lit? Are doors secure? Can an outsider walk into the office without being challenged? Small improvements in access control and visibility can make a big difference. 6. Promote awareness through your culture. Include domestic violence resources in new employee packets, staff newsletters, or bulletin boards. Normalize safety conversations because silence doesn't mean safety.

A Hospital Plan Prevents Harm

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Let's look at one more case study. A hospital in Colorado had a nurse who confided that her ex-partner had threatened to come to her workplace. Thanks to having a domestic violence policy and a safety plan in place, the hospital increased security at the entrances, alerted the floor supervisors, and provided the nurse with an alternate parking and entrance plan. The abuser did show up, but he was intercepted by hospital security and escorted off the property and no one was harmed. This shows how a safety-aware culture and a plan in place can make the difference between escalation and prevention. Because when domestic violence spills into the workplace, it doesn't just affect one person, it affects everyone. And the reality is, most workplaces don't recognize the risk until it's already too late. That's why this matters.

Checklist Resource And Program

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You can download our free workplace safety checklist at IncasImurdered.com slash safe work to assess your facility's readiness in five key areas. If you're looking for a more comprehensive solution, you can also learn more about Safe Work Advantage, our confidential, self-paced workplace safety program designed to help employees recognize warning signs and build proactive safety plans while reducing workplace risk. Again, that's in caseimurdered.com slash safe work.

Subscribe Share And Stay Safe

SPEAKER_00 12:39

Thanks for listening to the Safe Work Advantage podcast. If you found this helpful, be sure to subscribe and share it with someone in your network. Until I see you again, please stay safe and help others do the same.