Make Respect the Rule!

Respect is more than being nice. It means recognizing that everyone has the right to dignity, boundaries, and safety. October is both Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Bullying Prevention Month, two observances with important reminders: Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued in their relationships. Bullying and domestic violence are not the same, but both can involve patterns of behavior intended to intimidate, humiliate, threaten, control, or harm another person. And both can have lasting effects on emotional and physical well-being. Here’s more about each: 

• Bullying can happen at any age and in many settings – school, work, online, and more. It may include verbal abuse, deliberate exclusion, spreading rumors, threats, harassment, or other repeated behaviors that exploit a real or perceived power imbalance.
• Domestic violence occurs within intimate or family relationships and can take many forms beyond physical violence. Abuse may be emotional, verbal, sexual, financial, or digital. A person may use threats, isolation, intimidation, monitoring, or control of money and other resources to exert power over someone else.

Raising awareness matters because harmful behaviors often thrive when people dismiss them, excuse them, or simply look the other way. We can all help create a culture in which respect is expected and mistreatment is taken seriously.  This starts with our own behavior. Treat others with dignity, even during disagreements. Think before posting or commenting online. Don’t participate in gossip, humiliation, or harassment. If you witness bullying, speak up when it is safe to do so or report it to someone who can help. And if someone confides that they are experiencing abuse, listen without judgment. Avoid blaming or pressuring them about what they “should” do. Let them know that help and support are available.

Most importantly, if you are being bullied, threatened, controlled, or abused, you do not have to handle the situation alone. Reach out to your EAP for confidential support, guidance, and resources. You can also reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at the link or call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233).

Featured October Webinar

Stress Saving Strategies

This webinar will help you learn techniques that will motivate you to set and keep your savings goals, such as money for emergencies, purchases, college, and retirement. You’ll leave the session with valuable tools and techniques to start improving your financial health immediately. To access this Webinar and related resources, simply log in to www.theEAP.com during October.

October Quick Reminders

• Get That Flu Shot: Flu season runs from October to May, but you can get the flu anytime. Most health care insurance covers the annual flu vaccination as part of preventive care. See this handy guide: What to Know to Prepare for the 2026-2027 Flu Season. Why not call your doctor or your local pharmacy today to schedule your vaccine?

• Get That Mammogram: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a good time for women to get a mammogram, the most reliable way to detect breast cancer early, when it is small, easier to treat, and up to 99% curable. See the Top 5 Reasons to Get a Mammogram. 

October Training Suggestions

We offer a few online video trainings suggestions below from our vast selection of learning topics, or search for your own themes. Simply click on “Member Login” at www.theEAP.com, sign in, and click on the comprehensive training library in the “Training Center.” 

• Cybersecurity Essentials| Course ID: SVL_104417
  This 35-minute training is designed for people without a robust technical background. Learn about creating a secure workspace while avoiding social engineering, phishing, malware, and more.
• Respect at Work: Addressing Harassment and Bullying | Course ID: SVL_1023275
  Incivility can lead to bullying and harassment, which can escalate to workplace violence. In this 5-minute lesson, learn the spectrum of behaviors that lead to a breakdown of respect and civility.
• 10 Tips to Manage Your Anger | Course ID: SVL_1020048
  This 8-minute course offers techniques you can use to control anger by responding logically instead of emotionally when you feel frustrations start to rise.

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