“Domestic violence is not a private matter. It is a public concern that affects families, workplaces, and entire communities.”
— United Nations
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and while this month is an important time to raise awareness, awareness alone is not enough. If we really want to make a difference, we have to move from understanding the issue to taking action, especially in the places where people spend so much of their time: at work.
Domestic violence is often thought of as something that happens behind closed doors. But its effects don’t stay there. They can show up in a person’s ability to focus, attend work, feel safe, or maintain financial independence. For many survivors, the workplace can be one of the few consistent parts of life and that means it can also be one of the most important places to offer support.
At Staff Shop®, this conversation connects deeply to our belief that business can be a vehicle for empowerment: a belief shaped in part by the lived experience of our Founder & CEO, Jennifer Ménard-Shand. Work creates more than income. At its best, it can create dignity, community, independence and a path forward.
Why Workplace Support Matters
At Staff Shop®, we believe workplaces have a real role to play in creating safer, more compassionate environments. A supportive employer may never know the full story, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make a meaningful difference. Sometimes it’s as simple as offering flexibility, listening without judgment, or knowing how to connect someone to the right help and resources.
Workplace support can take many forms. It may mean a flexible schedule for court dates, medical appointments, or safety planning. It may mean a private conversation with a manager who knows how to respond. It may mean having a clear policy in place so employees know support exists before they ever need to ask for it. Research shows that effective workplace responses to intimate partner violence include policies, staff training, flexible work arrangements, and access to support services.
This is also where servant leadership becomes practical. Leaders do not need to have every answer. They do need to create enough trust that someone feels safe asking for help and enough structure that the organization knows how to respond when they do.
Jennifer’s Perspective
Our Founder & CEO, Jennifer Ménard-Shand, serves on the Board of Victim Services Toronto and has seen firsthand how critical it is for survivors to have access to trauma-informed support, practical resources, and a path forward that honours their dignity.
For Jennifer, that commitment is deeply personal. She grew up in a home affected by domestic violence, addiction and instability, and experienced firsthand what it means for a child to live in survival mode and feel responsible for the safety of someone they love.
Years of healing, faith, therapy, mentorship and community eventually helped her understand that surviving the cycle was only one part of the story. The greater calling was to help break it — and to use what she had lived through in service of others.
“I know what it feels like when chaos becomes familiar and peace feels foreign. That is part of why this work matters so much to me. My story taught me that where someone begins does not have to determine where they end, especially when the right people and resources meet them along the way.” — Jennifer Ménard-Shand
That belief now connects Jennifer’s personal story, her leadership as Founder & CEO of Staff Shop®, and her service with Victim Services Toronto: people deserve dignity, agency, support and the opportunity to move forward.
The Reality for Survivors
Victim Services Toronto served more than 17,500 victims in 2024–25. The organization continues to support survivors through crisis intervention, case management, education, and advocacy. That kind of support matters because recovery is rarely linear, and no one should have to navigate it alone.
That last point reflects something our Founder & CEO, Jennifer Ménard-Shand, often says: “No one makes it alone.” At Staff Shop®, our Passion value carries a similar commitment: no one suffers in silence and no one attempts to make it alone. For survivors, having even one person or organization willing and equipped to respond can change what becomes possible next.
For many survivors, work can be one of the only places where routine and independence still exist. But that can also make it difficult to ask for help. Fear of judgment, job loss, or privacy concerns can keep people silent even when they are struggling.
Signs Someone May Need Support
Domestic violence can sometimes appear at work in subtle ways, and the signs are not always obvious.
- They seem more withdrawn, anxious, or fearful than usual.
- They are missing work more often, arriving late, or leaving early.
- Their focus or performance has changed suddenly.
- They seem unusually stressed, distracted, or overwhelmed.
- They receive frequent calls, texts, or emails and may react strongly to them.
- They appear nervous about speaking when a partner is present or mentioned.
- They may try to hide bruises or explain injuries in a way that does not feel clear.
- They may avoid social interaction or seem isolated from coworkers.
- They may seem fearful of job loss, as their job can be their lifeline and only path to independence.
The goal is not to make assumptions, it’s to create a workplace where it feels safe to speak up.
Compassion and curiosity matter here. A change in behaviour is an invitation to check in, rather than an invitation to diagnose or judge. Sometimes the most important thing a leader can communicate is simply: “I see you. How can we support you?”
Male Survivors and Children: Often Overlooked, Still in Need of Support
Domestic violence does not only affect women. Men and children are also survivors, and their experiences often carry unique barriers to seeking help, especially in the workplace.
In Canada, men represent roughly one in five police-reported intimate partner violence cases, yet they are far less likely to access victim services or disclose abuse at work. Stigma, shame, and fear of not being believed can keep male survivors silent, even when the abuse is affecting their health, safety, and ability to work.
Children who see, hear, or experience the effects of domestic abuse are themselves recognized as victims under emerging Canadian and international frameworks. Exposure to violence at home is linked to emotional, behavioural, and developmental challenges that can follow children into school and, eventually, their own workplaces as adults.
For employers, this means support must be inclusive and practical:
- Use inclusive language in policies and communications (e.g., “survivors of all genders,” not only “women”).
- Offer the same accommodations such as flexible scheduling, safety planning, time off for legal or medical appointments, regardless of gender or family role.
- Acknowledge children as victims, and support employee-parents with caregiver-sensitive options such as adjusted hours, remote work, or emergency leave for safety and child-focused appointments.
- Train managers to respond without judgment, focusing on safety and support rather than assumptions about who can be a victim or how abuse “should” look.
Whether the survivor is a man, a woman, a parent, or a caregiver, the workplace role is similar: create conditions where it is safe to ask for help, and where the organization knows how to respond. At Staff Shop®, this aligns with our belief that business can be a vehicle for empowerment. This must be broad enough to include every employee living with violence at home, and practical enough to offer real pathways to safety, stability, and dignity.
Turning Awareness into Action
That’s where awareness becomes action.
When workplaces respond with empathy, flexibility, and clear support systems, they do more than help one person through a hard moment. They help break the isolation that abuse depends on. They send a message that safety matters. They make it easier for someone to take the next step toward support, healing, and stability.
For Staff Shop®, this is part of a much larger belief about the role of business. Our vision is to create legacies worth emulating for generations to come. Breaking harmful cycles in families, workplaces and communities is one way that legacy becomes tangible.
A workplace cannot heal someone’s trauma. It can become part of the village that helps a person reclaim safety, independence and choice.
Ask for Angela: What Employers Can Learn
The Ask for Angela program shows that a little training can make a big difference. Originally launched in the UK and adapted in Canada by Victim Services Toronto, the initiative teaches frontline employees to recognize the discreet phrase, “Is Angela here?” as a signal that someone may be experiencing domestic abuse or feel unsafe. Staff are trained to respond calmly, create a safe opportunity for the person to step away from danger, and connect them with appropriate support.
While some workplaces may not implement the Ask for Angela program itself, the principle behind it is one every employer can adopt: equip employees with the knowledge and confidence to respond when someone asks for help. Whether it’s a customer, client, or colleague, creating a workplace where people know they’ll be met with compassion, discretion, and clear support can make all the difference.
There is something powerful in the simplicity of that model: a person asks for help, and the person receiving that request knows what to do next. Employers can apply the same thinking by creating clear pathways before a crisis occurs. Who should an employee speak to? What support can be offered? What community resources are available? How will confidentiality and safety be protected?
A Call to Workplaces
This October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a reminder that every workplace can be part of the solution. We may not be able to fix everything, but we can create conditions where people feel seen, supported, and less alone.
And sometimes, that is where change begins.
At Staff Shop®, we believe that awareness should always lead to action and action starts with care.
We are in the business of empowerment, and empowerment matters most when someone feels powerless. For our Founder & CEO, Jennifer Ménard-Shand, and for our entire team, supporting organizations such as Victim Services Toronto is one way we can extend that responsibility beyond our own workplace and into the communities we serve.
Pain can become purpose. Awareness can become action. And when people, workplaces and community organizations choose to work together, cycles that once seemed inevitable can begin to change.
The Chief’s Gala
If you are in the Greater Toronto Area, The Chief’s Gala, in support of Victim Services Toronto (VST) is on Thursday, November 19, 2026. Consider becoming a sponsor or buying tickets.
The Chief’s Gala is an annual event hosted by the Chief of Police (Toronto) in support of Victim Services Toronto. The evening celebrates the vital work of this highly respected volunteer organization, recognizing its essential role in supporting victims and providing critical assistance to police officers responding to crimes and sudden tragedies.
As one of the organization’s premier fundraising and community events, the Chief’s Gala attracts more than 1,500 guests each year. Attendees include police chiefs and senior police leaders from across Ontario, representatives from all levels of government, and leaders from the business community, including Staff Shop®.
We hope to see you there!
For Staff Shop® Founder & CEO Jennifer Ménard-Shand, supporting VST through her board service and events like The Chief’s Gala is an extension of the same mission she carries into her leadership at Staff Shop®: using the platform, relationships and resources available to create meaningful impact beyond ourselves. Success becomes responsibility.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. The following confidential services can provide immediate support, safety planning, and connections to local resources across Canada.
- Emergency (if someone is in immediate danger): 911
- Victim Services Toronto (24/7 Crisis Response): 416-808-7066
- ShelterSafe (Canada-wide shelter finder): 1-833-733-8435 (1-833-RESPECT)
- Talk4Healing (for Indigenous women in Ontario): 1-855-554-HEAL (4325) – Available 24/7 in multiple Indigenous languages and English.
- Assaulted Women’s Helpline (Ontario): 1-866-863-0511 (TTY: 1-866-863-7868) – Available 24/7, confidential, multilingual support.
- Hope for Wellness Help Line (for Indigenous people across Canada): 1-855-242-3310 – Available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
- 211 Canada: 211 – Connects people with local domestic violence services, shelters, legal aid, counselling, and other community supports.
“The workplace can be a place of safety, support, and hope for someone experiencing domestic violence.”
— Women’s Aid (UK)
