“It’s Not My Business”

Unfortunately, if You Run a Business, Domestic Abuse is Impacting You and Your Employees.

You may have a large company with great benefits and employee wellness programs. Maybe you run a small business where everyone is like part of your family. You appreciate that when employees feel they are treated well, they are more engaged, productive, and, honestly, make your business more profitable.

That’s why it is surprising when one of your star employees seems less enthusiastic at work. Maybe she has started to call off a lot. Maybe he’s suddenly checking his phone non-stop. There’s the boyfriend showing up during her shifts, despite you addressing how this is not ok. You clearly have a, “personnel issue,” but it may not be what you think.

One in five workers experienced the impacts of domestic violence at work.  Think about that a moment – 20% of your workforce has likely tried to juggle job demands while living in fear. Given that so many people report having experienced partner violence in their lifetime (1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men), it shouldn’t be surprising that this also shows up at work.  

If you manage a team or run a “mom and pop” shop, you might think that you would know if one of your employees was experiencing abuse. However, abusive partners can be really good at convincing their victims that the abuse is their fault. Isolation is part of the abuse process, so getting their partners to keep it a secret through shame and coercion is often part of the abuse. They may fear will ridicule them, interrogate them, or fire them. Without a policy, they just don’t know. The job may be one of the only places that feel safe, so telling you without knowing how you’ll react is too risky. Remember, the person they loved and trusted the most is now hurting them – assume their trust in you may also be low (through no fault of yours).

So, What Do You Do?

• Including domestic abuse as part of your workplace violence policy is a good start. Consider adding in provisions to let employees use approved leave for domestic abuse-related appointments. It’s sends a message that you are a trustworthy employer.
• Show you care. Hang posters in public areas and bathrooms for Turning Point of Lehigh Valley or your local domestic abuse organization in other areas (you can find yours here).  Share out messaging on social media. Sponsor our events and organize fundraisers.  It helps us and shows your employees you really do support them in their struggles.
• Be informed. Know the basic facts about abuse and learn how to respond. If there was a 20% chance anything was going to impact your business, wouldn’t it be a good idea to learn more about it?

Turning Point of Lehigh Valley has designed customized training options and toolkits on handling domestic and intimate partner abuse in the workplace. Check out what we have to offer here.  Investing a small amount of time and effort into these steps will certainly be worthwhile to your employees and your business, so we look forward to talking with you.