There are many cost effective options to raise employee awareness.

• Hang posters and/or distribute brochures about partner violence in your office restrooms, copy rooms, cafeteria or any place where employees gather. In addition, you can place stickers with the National Domestic Violence Hotline number inside the bathroom stalls. For materials, contact your state coalition, local domestic violence agency, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ncadv.org), Family Violence Prevention Fund (www.fvpf.org) or Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (www.caepv.org).
• Post or distribute via email or handouts a list with the names, positions and telephone numbers of company contacts or an Employee Assistance Program that can help employees with domestic violence issues
• For a day or longer offer information about domestic violence in your lobby or storefront. Invite local service providers to set up informational tables and hand out literature. October is a good time because it is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Invite a speaker or panel of speakers from local shelters, batterer's treatment programs, police departments and other service providers to educate employees about domestic violence either during lunch or before or after work. An Employee Assistance Program may offer this service as well. Use this event to distribute educational materials
• Post domestic violence resources on your company's intranet or Web site
• Publish educational articles on domestic violence in your company newsletter. DV Initiative, Inc. (www.dvinitiative.com) provides complimentary articles
• Create a payroll insert that provides resources on domestic violence. Check with your Employee Assistance Program for inserts - many provide that service. Also, for sample inserts, contact your local domestic violence agencies, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ncadv.org), Family Violence Prevention Fund (www.fvpf.org) and Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (www.caepv.org)
• Hand out awareness pins, ribbons, or bumper stickers to every employee and/or customer. For materials, contact your local domestic violence agencies, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ncadv.org), Family Violence Prevention Fund (www.fvpf.org) and Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (www.caepv.org).
• Create partnerships with local domestic violence and rape crisis programs
• Develop public education campaigns to help inform local communities about the problems of violence against women and what every person can do to help stop it
• Join together with other companies, service providers, and government agencies to build collaborative partnerships aimed at creating productive workplaces that are safe and supportive for all employees