Transcript What Employers Should Know about Domestic Violence

What Employers Should Know
about Domestic Violence
Created by
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
of Sacramento County
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Learning Objectives
 Describe how the workplace is impacted by
domestic violence
 List legal rights and protections for victims
that employers must know
 List strategies for employers to protect both
victims and non-victims in the workplace
 Know the National Domestic Violence Hotline
number: 1-800-799-SAFE
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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What is Domestic Violence
 Actual or threatened physical or sexual
violence or psychological and emotional
abuse directed toward a spouse, ex-spouse,
current or former boyfriend, or girlfriend, or
current or former dating partner. (Saltzman,
1999)
 Partners can be heterosexual or homosexual
 The preferred health term recommended by
the CDC is “Intimate Partner Violence” and
can, generally, be used interchangeably with
the term “domestic violence.”
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Domestic Violence in the Workplace
 36-75% of employed intimate partner victims were
bothered by their partners while at work (Shepard,
1988; Swanberg, 2005, Taylor, 2004)
 An average of 18,000 people were assaulted by an
intimate partner at work each year (National Crime
Victimization Survey, 1992-1996)
 Women were 5 times more likely than men to be
attacked at work by a current or former intimate
partner (Bachman, 1994)
 Nearly 20% of all women fatally injured in the
workplace were killed by an intimate partner
(Brownell, 1996)
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Workplace Interference Tactics
 Work Disruption: actions that prevent the victim from
reaching work
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Depriving the victim of sleep
Refusing to care for children
Hiding or destroying clothing, keys or work materials
Inflicting physical injury
 Work Stalking: unwelcome and repeated harassing
or threatening behavior
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Following or showing up at work
Leaving messages or objects
Vandalizing victim’s property
Swanberg, 2005
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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In their own words . . .
 “One time he left a gift box on the hood of the
truck. I opened it and it was my cat, dead.
The note said I would be next if I talked to
anyone at work.”
 “He shows up right before I go to work . . .
He’d keep me from getting into the car . . .
Sometimes he’d take my keys, put some fake
keys in their place so you can’t get in or out of
the house or drive the car. Now, I have four
different sets of keys.”
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Impact on Productivity
 Increased Absenteeism
Physical abuse victims miss an average of 3 days per month
 46% of victims have gone home sick due to stress of
victimization
 Reduced efficiency
 71% report difficulty concentrating while at work
 63% say they are unable to perform the job to the best of
their abilities
 Increased tardiness
 Use of pain medication for physical injuries
 Increase in Job loss/Turnover rate
 5-27% of victims report job loss as a direct result of IPV
 Reasons: shame, fear, child care issues or forced by abuser
to resign
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Swanberg, 2005
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Costs to the Employer due to:
 Security needs
 Worker’s Compensation
 Legal fees/Liability issues
 Decreased productivity
 Damaged property
 Secondary victims are traumatized or harmed
 Administrative/human resources
Swanberg, 2005
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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The Bottom Line
 Employers spend about $3-5 billion annually to deal
with the ramifications of IPV in the workplace
 And that’s just for the cases we know about . . .
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Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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In their own words . . .
 “He would call and I wasn’t allowed to have personal
phone calls so he’d get angry with that . . . He’d
eventually come out to work, the last time he showed
up at work he dragged me out of work. My employer
go tired of it and fired me.”
 “He would show up at my work and just the sight of
him would tear me all to pieces. My manager did ask
me one time what’s going on with you and your man
friend? I eventually quit because he would not stop
coming to my job, I felt too ashamed.”
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Victim Level Consequences
 Inconsistent work histories
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More likely to have been unemployed in past
Higher rates of welfare receipt
 Underemployment
 Reduced actual and potential earnings
 Loss of employer provided health insurance
 Increased financial dependence on abuser
 Partner violence may depress socioeconomic
status and occupational attainment over time
Swanberg, 2005
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Addressing DV in the
Workplace
Women as a vital role in the workforce
OSHA standards
Legal protections
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Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Women in the Workforce
 Women comprise 47% of the workforce (US
Dept of Labor, 2004)
 Organizations that consider employees’
family concerns when making workplace
policy reap positive results (Bond, 1998)
 Long known that work can impact the family
and family can impact work. (Frone, 1994;
Tenbrunsel, 1995)
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Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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OSHA Regulations
 Protect employees from recognized hazards
that are causing or are likely to cause death
or serious harm
 Do everything reasonably necessary to
protect the life, safety and health of
employees
 If organization aware of danger and does
nothing to prevent it, can be fined between
$25,000 to $75,000 which is separate from
the civil and possibly criminal liabilities
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Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Legal Protections for Victims
 Eligibility for Unemployment Compensation:
DV victims who must leave their jobs to
protect their safety or that of their children are
still eligible for unemployment benefits.
 Job-Guaranteed time off to attend DV related
court hearings or to receive DV related
services: Employer is prohibited from
discharging, threatening, demoting,
suspending, retaliating or discriminating in
any way. Employer is required to maintain the
confidentiality of the employee.
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Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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How employers can help
with Domestic Violence
Prevent
Protect
Intervene
2006
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Who do victims tell at work
 66% of victims tell someone at work
 Immediate supervisor (59%)
 Co-worker (46%)
 Another supervisor (6%)
 Human resource professional (1%)
 Victims don’t disclose because
 They consider IPV to be a personal issue
 Feel embarrassed or ashamed
 Do not believe people at work can be trusted
 Fear of losing job or other negative consequences
 Partner works in same workplace
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Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Employer Action - Prevention
 DV education programs for supervisors
 DV education programs to encourage
disclosure
 DV education programs for employees in
case they become aware of a peer who is
being victimized
 DV education programs for
security personnel
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Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Employer Action - Protection
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Leave time without penalty for court appointments
Workplace transfers
Alter work schedules to confuse abuser
Workplace Restraining orders
Provide a cell phone
Provide legal assistance
Phone call screening mechanism
Security cameras
Escorts to vehicle
Priority parking near building
Enhanced parking lot lighting
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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Employer Action - Intervention
 Employee Assistance Program staffed by persons trained in DV
 On site counseling services (for victims but also for employees
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who appear verbally abusive or have histories of using threats,
coercion or force or violence as a means of resolving conflict)
Occupational health screening for violence and abuse
Referral to DV programs in community
Safety Planning and Danger Assessment done for the
workplace
Emergency funds and a strategy for crisis situations
Post National Domestic Violence
Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE throughout
the work site
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Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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In their own words . . .
 “I was really afraid after what I had gone through that
if they downsized anybody I was going to be out of
there. I told them about the EPO . . .my boss was
great . . .they transferred me to another location. . .
and I felt much safer.”
 “The reason I really liked the job was because I
worked for a woman that I could talk to. She would
say well, you know we really want to keep you and I
understand what you’ve been going through. . .
that’s why I worked with her so long.”
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Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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For further information or to help
decrease Domestic Violence . . .
 Come to a meeting of the Health Providers Domestic Violence
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Network. Meetings are the second Thursday of every month
(from 8 -10 am) at the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society
on 1530 Elvas in Sacramento.
Ask Dr. Connie Mitchell, principal author of this presentation, at
[email protected]
Call WEAVE in Sacramento (24 hours a day) at 916-920-2952
Contact National Workplace Resource Center on Domestic
Violence at www.fvpf.org
Call National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE
Schedule a training from Blue Shield Against Violence by calling
1-415-229-5861
Sacramento County
Healthcare Domestic Violence Network
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