Domestic Violence Affects Employers and Employees in the Workplace (11/11)

Domestic Violence Affects Employers and Employees in the Workplace

Domestic violence isn't a problem that's confined to the home; it can cause problems in the workplace as well, says Beth Lindamood, senior analyst with Great American Insurance Company (GAIC), who heads up the company's workplace violence-prevention program. In fact, 96 percent of employed domestic violence victims who were surveyed reported some type of problem at work linked to domestic abuse. And while it is estimated that approximately 75 percent of the largest U.S. corporations have policies addressing violence in the workplace, a mere 14 percent have established guidelines for domestic violence. Lindamood says small businesses are even less likely to address this issue.

"Without effective policies to confront this issue, domestic violence can have negative effects on productivity, may increase employer liability for assaults committed at the workplace by abusive partners against their victims or the victims' coworkers, and may result in higher health care costs and higher turnover due to termination of employees who are domestic violence victims," explains Lindamood.

Kim Wells, executive director of the Corporate Alliance To End Partner Violence (CAEPV), says this is a problem that is literally bleeding into the workplace. According to the CAEPV, businesses forfeit $100 million a year in lost wages, sick leave, absenteeism and non-productivity due to partner violence.

Why is domestic violence carrying over into the workplace? "When you consider that 50 percent of all women experience some type of domestic violence in their lifetime, it stands to reason that many times, an abused woman is a working woman," says Lindamood. "Perpetrators, many times, will come to the workplace searching for the intended victim because they are often barred from going to the victim's home. The workplace is the one place that an angry spouse or boyfriend is sure to find his target."

Lindamood says studies of abused women indicate that domestic violence not only takes a personal toll, but a professional toll as well. GAIC reports 56 percent of battered women are late for work at least five times a month; 28 percent leave early at least five days a month; 54 percent miss at least three full days of work a month. "And day after day, 74 percent of these women are harassed at work either by phone or in person," she adds.

Indeed, domestic violence can affect everyone in the workplace. Lindamood says for coworkers who intervene a workplace domestic dispute, witness an act of violence, or find themselves in harm's way, domestic disputes transform the workplace from a safe place to a threatening environment. Wells points out that co-workers are often in a unique position to recognize the warning signs that someone may be a victim. "By increasing employees' awareness of the issue and enhancing their skills in addressing the problem, you increase the chances for prevention and can lower the risk associated with those already caught in the cycle of partner violence."

Lindamood says every company should instill a domestic violence policy and all supervisory staff should be trained on how to properly respond when an employee is a victim. "Steps should then be taken to increase safety at the workplace - be willing to relocate an employee's workstation, provide photos of the perpetrator to receptionists and/or security, and alter the employee's work schedule," she says. "It is essential for employers to establish a zero-tolerance plan against workplace violence. In cases of domestic violence, employers need to focus on early intervention and address threats before violence occurs."