Domestic Violence Impacts the Workplace

Every 15 seconds an act of domestic violence occurs (Texas). Yet there are still businesses that feel this issue is not any of their concern. However, domestic violence not only affects the victim; it also affects the victim’s co-workers and the business itself. Since domestic violence can affect many different aspects of a victim’s life, the employer needs to make sure they make these issues their business; especially since these issues have an affect on them. Therefore, it is important that all businesses set policies in regards to domestic violence and provide training to employees, supervisors, and managers in how to handle these delicate issues in order to ensure the safety of all their employees.

Domestic violence not only affects a victim’s home life; it often affects their work life as well. Too often this abuse follows the victim to the workplace. Approximately 13,000 acts of domestic violence occur at the workplace each year (Saul, 2004). The batterer may come to the victim’s workplace and physically or verbally assault them. At times some of these incidents may even result in injury or death. The victim may also receive threatening emails, faxes, and telephone calls while they are working; which in turn affects their mental state of mind causing confusion and less awareness of their job duties.

Regardless whether or not the victim is assaulted at home or on work premises the affects of the abuse will ultimately affect their work life. Many victims find that their work performance diminishes and that they are absent from work or tardy more often. Some battered victims abandon their job altogether in fear of being stalked. Furthermore, many victims are ashamed to inform their employer of the abuse and at times they may risk losing their jobs because of their decreased productivity and absentee ism. This weakens the victim’s financial security making them more vulnerable to accept the abuse.