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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE

Look at the facts:

• 25% of domestic violence survivors in one survey stated they had lost their jobs at least in part because of domestic violence

• 74% of employed domestic violence survivors stated in another survey that they were harassed at work by their abusive partner

• 96% of employed battered women stated in a survey that they experienced problems at work due to their abusive situations

• There are an estimated 13,000 acts of violence against women at work each year by their partners

• Homicide is the #1 cause of death for women on the job, and 20% of those were murdered by their partner at the workplace

What can you do as an employer to keep your workplace safe but also help survivors keep their jobs?

If your employee alerts you that he/she is in an abusive relationship, be supportive and try to help find options to keep everyone safe at work.  If he/she is still in the relationship, try to help find resources that will assist the employee in making a decision about his/her relationship.  One resource is the National Hotline for Domestic Violence 1-800-799-SAFE.  Other resources include the local domestic violence shelters.  You can call and ask what programs they offer and what resources they can help with.  If your employee has left the relationship, be aware that this is the most vulnerable and dangerous time for him/her.

If your employee has not specifically told you that he/she is in an abusive relationship, but the employee’s partner has called numerous times, showed up and harassed the employee, or the employee has called in sick a lot due to injuries from the abuse or the employee has been kept up all night due to being screamed at, think about taking the employee aside and talking with him/her about the situation and work together to find a safe solution.  These are the three main reasons that employers have fired employees who are in domestic violence situations.   You might not have any idea why your employee is acting this way.  Talk to him/her and see if he/she will talk to you about the situation.  Think about working with the employee rather than firing him/her.  One way of working with your employee (if  he/she confides in you about his/her relationship) is to consider giving them time off to get their things together if he/she wants to leave the abusive partner. Another way you can help is to be open to requests for time off if he/she tells you that he/she left and is staying with friends or at a shelter. 

If your employee will not talk with you about the situation, do not force the issue but encourage the employee to come and talk with you at any time.  Be supportive!  Let the employee know that you are there for him/her when he/she is ready to talk.  If the employee’s partner has been harassing him/her at work, consider letting your employee know that you are aware of what is going on and want to keep him/her and everyone else safe.

Steps you can take with your employee to keep the workplace safe:

• Change the employee's phone number or extension

• Have the receptionist screen the employee's phone calls

• Keep all employee home addresses and telephone numbers confidential

• Transfer the employee to a different desk, department, shift, or work site

• Have security available to escort employees to their cars or public transportation stops or encourage the "buddy" system when employees leave work

• Consider giving the employee priority parking close to the building

• Keep doors locked to different offices or departments

• Be willing to honor and work with protection orders that an employee may have filed; Make a copy of the employee's protection order to keep on file

• Consider filing a restraining order against the partner to protect your business in addition to the employee's order

• Encourage the employee to save any threatening e-mail and voice-mail messages for future legal action or to prove that an existing restraining order was violated

• Identify an emergency contact person in case you are unable to contact the victim

• Work with the employee to see what changes will make him/her feel safer since the employee knows the perpetrator better than anyone else

Your first responsibility is to keep the workplace safe for all employees.  By taking these steps, you can help the employee who is in a domestic violence situation keep his/her job and possibly gain enough strength to leave the abusive partner, and you are also protecting your employees.  It is frightening to have an abusive person come or call the workplace, but please remember to be supportive of your employee who is trying to survive the situation.  You could be helping to literally save his/her life.

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What Is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of controlling behavior that may include physical, sexual, economic, emotional, and psychological abuse of one family member or intimate partner by another. The goal of domestic violence is to establish and maintain power and control.