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This is an opportune time to educate both employers and employees about the impact of domestic violence and to evaluate the policies employers have in place to keep their workplaces safe and productive.
Below Kim Wells, the executive director of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, answers some questions on why domestic violence matters in the workplace. If you are an employer, please consider implementing a policy to provide help to employees that may be a victim of domestic violence. If you are employed by a company, please share this with your human resources contact or office manager. We can all do something to end domestic violence.
Q.) Why should you and your employer care about domestic violence?
A.) In a national survey of full-time employed adults, 21 percent indicated they were victims of domestic violence — and 64 percent indicated their ability to work was significantly impacted*.
Studies also show that victims lose a total of nearly 8 million days of paid work a year-the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs, and that the cost of domestic violence to the U.S. economy is more than $8.3 billion in medical care, mental health services and lost productivity.**
Q.) Are there simple steps employees and employers can take to address domestic violence?
A.) There are steps employers of any size can take to address domestic violence and keep their workplaces productive and safe. And there are critical things employees should know to help a colleague in need.
If you suspect someone is in an abusive relationship, you should try to help. Simply asking someone, "Are you safe at home?" could prompt a victim to seek an alternative to violence. If you need confidential advice on how to handle a specific situation, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-SAFE).
Employers should establish a policy and program on domestic violence, integrating both proactive education on the issue and guidelines for addressing domestic violence at the workplace to help bring this issue to light so that employees know this behavior is not tolerated.
A sample policy is available at http://www.caepv.org/getinfo/docdetail.php?docID=4
Q.) Should training be provided?
A.) Yes, employers or managers should be trained to recognize signs of violence for potential victims and perpetrators. Local domestic violence service providers often can assist with this training at little or no cost. Because you as the business owner or the manager must be careful to address concerns in the context of employment (unless the employee self-discloses), managers must know how to respond — to appropriately address changes in behavior that is affecting performance. They should also know how to refer an employee to internal or external resources. Managers should not give personal advice or counseling.
Employees should be trained to understand domestic violence, identify possible warning signs, and respond sensitively and confidentially to an abused co-worker. As in the case of managers, co-workers are not counselors and should not give personal advice, but should refer to internal resources like human resources or an EAP, or external resources like the National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-SAFE). Verizon Wireless customers can quickly reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline by dialing #HOPE.
There are great training tools out there. Corporations, community organizations, nonprofits and government agencies have used "Telling Amy's Story," the award-winning documentary about a domestic violence homicide to illuminate the complexities of domestic violence and its impact on the workplace.
The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV) and Verizon Wireless joined forces to increase employer and employee awareness of domestic violence as a workplace issue and are offering tools to respond to it through the CAEPV HopeLine¨ from Verizon Webinar Series, which will run through December 2011. For more info on the webinar series, please visit: http://www.caepv.org/about/program_detail.php?refI
Q.) Any final thoughts?
A.) This month, I encourage you find out if your employer has a domestic violence policy and program in place. If not, direct them to www.caepv.org to the Take Action/Starting a Workplace Program Section.
The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence is the leading force in the fight against domestic violence, and the only national organization of its kind founded by business leaders and focused on the workplace.
* Source: Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV)
**Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
To view vital speeches given by our authors, visit our speeches page.
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Kathy Brown
S.V.P., Public Policy Development and Corporate Responsibility
Kathy leads Verizon's global corporate responsibility initiatives and policy development. She also oversees the Verizon Foundation.
James Gowen
Chief Sustainability Officer/
V.P. of Services Operations
James oversees Verizon’s supply chain, vehicle fleet, investment recovery, purchasing and materials management and sustainability initiatives.
Rose Kirk
President, Verizon Foundation
Rose leads Verizon's philanthropic strategy with an emphasis on projects that demonstrate the use of Verizon's technology in addressing social issues such as education, domestic violence prevention and online safety. The Verizon Foundation is one of the 15 largest corporate foundations in America.
Jack McArtney
Director of Corporate and Community Responsibility
Jack promotes digital wellness and online safety. He works with parents, educators, service providers, application developers and industry leaders to foster responsible use of Verizon's mobile and broadband networks.
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