Rightly, workplaces are talking more openly about menopause, mental health, flexible working and parental responsibilities.
This is progress.
We are finally acknowledging that employees are human beings with lives beyond their job descriptions. Policies are evolving. Conversations are becoming more honest. Leaders are recognising that wellbeing cannot be separated from performance.
But as these discussions become more common, I often find myself asking a quieter question.
What might sit underneath some of what we’re seeing?
Menopause awareness, for example, has helped many women feel less isolated at work. Symptoms such as anxiety, brain fog, poor sleep and reduced confidence are now better understood and better supported.
Yet those same symptoms are also common in someone experiencing coercive control.
Flexible working policies have rightly expanded to support parents and carers. But control over parenting arrangements and financial independence is a frequent tactic in abusive relationships.
Wellbeing programmes address stress and burnout. But domestic abuse is one of the most powerful — and often hidden — drivers of chronic anxiety and exhaustion.
This is not about assuming the worst. It is about avoiding assumptions altogether.
When someone’s behaviour changes, when performance dips, when absence increases, the instinct in many organisations is to categorise: menopause, stress, workload, childcare.
Sometimes that will be accurate.
But sometimes the real issue is something far more personal and far more frightening.
Domestic abuse does not announce itself. It rarely arrives with clear labels. More often, it presents as distraction, anxiety, loss of confidence or inconsistent attendance. It can look like someone “not coping”.
For many victim-survivors, work is the only part of their life where they still feel capable. The fear of being judged or losing their job can keep them silent for years.
This is where leadership matters.
A workplace culture that encourages open conversation about health and flexibility is already partway there. The next step is ensuring managers are confident enough to ask gentle, human questions — and to know how to respond safely if someone discloses abuse.
We do not need employers to become investigators or counsellors. We need them to recognise that safety underpins every other wellbeing initiative.
Psychological safety is not just about speaking up in meetings. For some people, it is about knowing they will not be penalised for something happening behind closed doors.
In the North East, we pride ourselves on straight talking and strong communities. That same mindset can shape our workplaces.
As conversations evolve around menopause, parenting and mental health, we have an opportunity.
We can broaden the lens slightly. We can create workplaces where the unspoken is allowed to surface safely.
Because sometimes what looks like stress is fear. And sometimes what looks like distraction is survival.
If we are serious about inclusion and wellbeing, we must be brave enough to hold space for that possibility.
— Catherine Marchant
CEO, Impact Family Services