Domestic Violence Hits the workplace!

By Matt Eschler, The Mainstreet Business Journal

Every business owner, manager or human resource director must spend at least a small portion of the work year generating plans to protect staff from violence in the workplace. Big business and small business alike share the common ground of having a very real, clear and present danger of violence erupting at work.

This is especially true for people who work together eight to ten hours a day, five to seven days a week. The work place environment can and will shape a persons attitude and experience. The environment people are immersed in while at work will define the level of security, feelings of safety, and the level of tension you will carry home.

The effects of workplace violence will decrease productivity and overall job satisfaction. During the year 2006 in America, homicide was the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury. Nearly 1,000 workers are murdered and 1.5 million are assaulted in the workplace each year. These are incredible and terrifying statistics. Hidden within these statistics is what I believe is even a larger more toxic problem. Domestic Violence brought into our workplaces.

Business leaders agree that domestic violence is a problem that affects their workplaces: 57percent of senior corporate executives believe domestic violence is a major problem in society. One-third of them think this problem has a negative impact on their bottom line profits, and 40 percent said they were personally aware of employees and other individuals affected by domestic violence.

Domestic violence doesn’t stay home when its victims go to work. It will follow them, resulting in violence in the workplace. An employee being harassed by threatening phone calls, absent because of injuries or less productive from extreme stress are all reasons for decreased productivity in the work environment.

A study of domestic violence survivors found that 74 percent of employed battered women were harassed by their partner while they were at work. All businesses that employ people need to address domestic violence. The small business owner that “doesn’t want to meddle”; the large business owner that doesn’t want to take the time and money to train managers in assisting those that are being assaulted at home need to step back and then step up to defend the employee.

Implementing workplace policies, training employees and managers, and supporting community efforts to end domestic violence will increase workplace safety and workplace satisfaction. Business productivity and profits depend upon focused and balanced employees coming to work and doing their job.

Violence at home can bleed over into the workplace environment. This problem cannot be remedied by firing employees, it can be remedied by being the workplace that trains, sees, and finds solutions. The first step is to make all employees aware that there is support for the victim of assault, even when the assault occurs at home, at your business, that there will be trained staff that know what to look for in situations that include domestic assault. A well thought out, well announced safety plan, is put in place by co-workers for the office place and in support of the victim of domestic assault.

It’s impossible to know with certainty what goes on behind closed doors, but there are some telltale signs and symptoms of domestic violence and abuse. If you witness a number of warning signs in a friend, family member, or co-worker, you can reasonably suspect domestic abuse.

- Frequent injuries, with the excuse of “accidents”
- Frequent and sudden absences from work or school
- Frequent, harassing phone calls from the partner
- Fear of the partner, references to the partner’s anger
- Personality changes (e.g. an outgoing person becomes withdrawn)
- Excessive fear of conflict
- Submissive behavior, lack of assertiveness
- Isolation from friends and family
- Insufficient resources to live (money, credit cards, car)
- Depression, crying, low self-esteem