Employers “have a duty” to support staff who suffer domestic abuse but few have adequate policies in place, the government says.
It said bosses were in a unique position to help but a “lack of awareness and stigma” held them back.
Calls to domestic abuse services have surged in the pandemic as couples spend more time at home.
Business Minister Paul Scully said employers could be a “bridge between a worker and the support they need”.
“It was once taboo to talk about mental health, but now most workplaces have well-established policies in place. We want to see the same happen for domestic abuse, but more quickly and more effectively,” he said in an open letter to employers.
Managers and colleagues are often the only other people outside the home that victims talk to each day and so “uniquely placed” to spot signs of abuse, he said.
These include becoming more withdrawn than usual, sudden drops in performance, mentions of controlling or coercive behaviour in partners, or physical signs such as bruising.