| None of Our Business: When Domestic Violence | | | | overwhelming majority of employees (84%) who |
| Comes to Work | | | | believe that corporations should be a part of the |
| When the director of my four-year-old's preschool | | | | solution to addressing domestic violence. |
| called to tell me that a teacher's battering boyfriend | | | | Part of this disconnect may be due to the fact that the |
| had threatened to shoot up the school, I found myself | | | | birds-eye view available to senior managers prevents |
| reacting like many employers I counsel. Yes, I was | | | | them from seeing domestic violence issues in their |
| afraid that an innocent person would be harmed. Of | | | | own workplace; CEOS, for example, estimated that |
| course, I was concerned for the teacher's welfare, | | | | 6% of their workforce had experience with intimate |
| shocked that someone I knew was involved in an | | | | partner violence while 26% of survey employees had |
| abusive relationship, and furious at the abuser. And, I | | | | actually experienced it. In spite of the fact that |
| am ashamed to admit, I was angry with the teacher. | | | | workplace violence prevention training can easily be |
| "What was she thinking?" "Why on earth did she get | | | | rolled into other topics such as professional conduct, |
| herself in this mess?" "How could she let her personal | | | | performance management or effective discipline and |
| problems put my child in danger?" Her personal | | | | termination, the majority of employers tend to bury |
| problems are none of my business, I found myself | | | | their heads in the sand: |
| thinking, understandably but incorrectly. Like it or not, her | | | | Over 70 percent of United States workplaces have |
| problem had suddenly become mine. | | | | no formal program or policy that addresses workplace |
| The odds are, you're going to find yourself having to | | | | violence. |
| deal with a domestic violence situation that has spilled | | | | Of the 30% of workplaces in the US that have some |
| over to the office. Domestic violence comprised 24% | | | | sort of formal workplace violence policy, only 44% |
| of the workplace violence incidents reported to the | | | | have a policyto address domestic violence in the |
| Bureau of Labor Statistics in their survey of | | | | workplace. |
| businesses with 1,000 or more employees - more than | | | | Only 4 percent of all establishments train employees |
| "criminal incidents" at 17%. If not taken seriously, it can | | | | on domestic violence and its impact on the workplace. |
| be lethal; homicide by domestic partners accounts for | | | | Six Steps to a Safe Work Environment |
| 20% of all deaths among women at work - compared | | | | Individuals dealing with domestic violence at work can |
| to the 11 percent accounted for by worker-on-worker | | | | wind up feeling battered themselves by all the |
| violence. In this article, we'll take a look at how | | | | competing interests at stake. The employee/victim |
| employers can navigate their way through one of the | | | | often looks to the human resource professional as an |
| most sensitive examples of how personal problems | | | | advocate who provides protection and, if the abuse is |
| can have devastating effects on work. | | | | interfering with their work, someone who will fight to |
| What It Looks Like | | | | help them keep the financial independence that is such |
| In February of 2008, the CDC released the most | | | | a critical part of leaving a domestic violence situation. |
| comprehensive US survey regarding intimate partner | | | | Senior management has difficulty understanding why |
| violence. CDC researchers asked adult participants in | | | | human resources is involved in what they perceive to |
| the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System | | | | be either a social problem or a personal matter, while |
| survey if they would answer questions about | | | | the victim's supervisor wants the employee to do her |
| intimate-partner violence. More than 70,000 Americans | | | | job - period. |
| -- just over half those asked -- agreed. | | | | The key to HR's emotional survival in these stressful |
| The results:o 23.6% of women and 11.5% of men | | | | situations is to know where and how to marshal |
| reported at least one lifetime episode of | | | | available resources so your actions don't get clouded |
| intimate-partner violence.o In households with incomes | | | | by the emotions inherent in these situations or the |
| under $15,000 per year, 35.5% of women and 20.7% | | | | competing interests of those involved. |
| of men suffered violence from an intimate partner.o | | | | Here are six ways you can begin to create a culture |
| 43% of women and 26% of men in multiracial | | | | that promotes safety and respect: |
| non-Hispanic households suffered partner violence.o | | | | Incorporate a specific intimate partner violence clause |
| 39% of women and 18.6% of men in American Indian | | | | in your general policies on workplace safety. Make |
| Alaska Native households suffered partner violence.o | | | | sure your policy addresses performance issues |
| 26.8% of women and 15.5% of men in white | | | | related to victims of domestic violence, provides |
| non-Hispanic households suffered partner violence.o | | | | accountability for employees who use company |
| 29.2% of women and 23.3% of men in black | | | | property (mail, e-mail, letters, phones) to harass a family |
| non-Hispanic households suffered partner violence.o | | | | or household member, and outlines the rights of |
| 20.5% of women and 15.5% of men in Hispanic | | | | domestic violence victims as they relate to the use of |
| households suffered partner violence. | | | | company time and resources to handle domestic |
| Beating Up the Bottom Line | | | | violence and/or resulting legal issues. |
| Domestic violence often follows an employee to work | | | | Educate senior managers on the critical need for |
| through harassing phone calls and letters, cyber | | | | workplace violence prevention training. Workplace |
| stalking, and visits by the abuser. The workplace may | | | | conflict historically escalates during economic |
| often be only place where the perpetrator can gain | | | | downturns, yet few CEOS recognize just how volatile |
| access to the victim. In fact, they often deliberately | | | | the workplace can be. |
| abuse their victims during work hours because they | | | | Coordinate with your legal and security departments to |
| know that victims fear losing their jobs if their | | | | develop workplace safety response plans and provide |
| employers realize what is happening. Acts of domestic | | | | reasonable means to assist victimized employees in |
| violence in the workplace pose a threat not only to the | | | | developing and implementing individualized workplace |
| victim, but also to co-workers and customers. | | | | safety strategies. |
| Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that the U.S. | | | | Get the word out. Post information on domestic |
| Department of Justice recently proclaimed the | | | | violence and available resources in the work site in |
| workplace as the most dangerous place in America, | | | | places where employees can obtain it without having |
| employers have been the last to recognize that | | | | to request it or be seen removing it, such as employee |
| domestic abuse doesn't always stay at home. In fact, | | | | rest rooms, lounge areas, as inserts in employee |
| the corporate world has traditionally remained mute on | | | | benefits packages and/or as part of new employee |
| the subject. While such silence may imply a lack of | | | | orientation. |
| compassion, it is more often due to an unawareness | | | | Train your managers to recognize -- to be aware of |
| of the problem, discomfort with asking probing | | | | signs of violence for potential victims and perpetrators. |
| questions when suspicions do arise, or the mindset that | | | | Managers should understand how to respond - to |
| what takes place in someone's private life is just that. | | | | appropriately address changes in behavior that are |
| However, the economic toll domestic violence takes | | | | affecting performance and to stay clear of common |
| on American businesses is finally getting senior | | | | pitfalls, such as offering personal advice or attempting |
| management's attention. For example: | | | | to counsel. Finally, managers should learn to whom to |
| 1. Businesses lose an estimated $727.8 million in | | | | refer - whom to call internally and externally if such a |
| productivity and more than 7.9 million paid work days | | | | situation arises. |
| annually because of domestic violence, according to | | | | Make sure all HR staff is trained to deal with |
| March 2003 figures from the U.S. Department of | | | | workplace violence issues. HR professionals are |
| Health and Human Services. | | | | tasked with dealing with violent employee threats, yet, |
| 2. Fifty percent of domestic violence victims who are | | | | according to a recent SHRM study, few actually |
| working women miss 3 days of work a month as a | | | | receive such training. Maintain a list of domestic |
| result of the violence, and 64 percent were periodically | | | | violence services, including: the phone number and |
| late. | | | | description of local domestic violence service |
| 3. Twenty percent of working battered women | | | | providers, employee assistance, if available, and |
| eventually loses their job because of it. | | | | information on how to obtain orders of protection and |
| 4. Ninety six percent of battered working women | | | | criminal justice options. |
| experienced problems at work because of the abuse. | | | | A Win-Win |
| 5. Seventy five percent employed battered women | | | | The significant impact on business - from safety issues |
| used company time to deal with their violence | | | | to economic considerations - encourages employers |
| because they could not do so at home. | | | | to recognize that violence is not someone else's |
| Having senior management's awareness and support | | | | problem. Whether employers are acting out of |
| of the need to develop an action plan for domestic | | | | economic self-interest or not, businesses' recent move |
| violence spillover at work is a critical first step; knowing | | | | toward understanding and dealing with domestic |
| what actions to take is another. | | | | violence spillover at work is a win for everyone. HR |
| Take Those Blinders Off | | | | professionals can have a strong influence in |
| On September 25, 2007, CAEPV, Liz Claiborne, and | | | | persuading senior management to give them - and the |
| Safe Haven released a groundbreaking survey on | | | | rest of the workforce - the training and support they |
| corporate executives and employee awareness of | | | | need to deal with potentially violent work situations; |
| the impact of domestic violence in the workplace. | | | | there's nothing like the threat of a lawsuit to get |
| Surprisingly, the survey shows that a significant | | | | employers to shift a backburner issue to the |
| majority of corporate executives and their employees | | | | foreground. Whether the motive is genuine concern for |
| from the nation's largest companies recognize the | | | | employee well-being or protection for the bottom line, |
| harmful and extensive impact of domestic violence in | | | | the positive impact is the same. Or, as my |
| the workplace, yet only 13% of corporate executives | | | | grandmother used to say, sometimes people do good |
| think their companies should address the problem. The | | | | in spite of themselves. |
| attitudes of executives differ dramatically from an | | | | |