Domestic Violence 1

Domestic Violence

Name:

Course Name:

Prof Name:

Date:
Domestic Violence 2

Domestic Violence

Einführung

Domestic violence does not always occur at home, despite the literal connotation that

occurs when it occurs at home or domestically. Domestic violence, on the other hand, often

accompanies its victims to work, with disastrous implications. Homicide is the second greatest

cause of death in the workplace for women, accounting for around 15% of all deaths. Every day,

a large number of employees report incidents of workplace violence, the majority of which are

related to domestic violence. Domestic violence is a threat not just to the victim's well-being and

safety, but also to the well-being and safety of clients, coworkers, customers, and even the

general public. As a result, management must devise efficient measures to reduce such incidents

as soon as they arise.

Domestic violence does not occur in the workplace; for example, a woman is not

assaulted by her spouse at her place of employment. On the other hand, its impacts are the ones

that are most noticeable at work (Perrone, 1999). Increased absenteeism, decreased productivity,

and growing levels of organizational health care expenditures and insurance are common

manifestations of these consequences (Dougan and Wells, 2007).

The impact on productivity is extremely severe, resulting in annual losses in the millions

of dollars. When a worker is the victim of domestic violence at home, he or she may be unable to

perform at the desired level of productivity (Swanberg & Logan, 2005). For example, the person

may be physically injured, and they may not be in the greatest condition to do physical duties

(Perrone, 1999). If the job requires the person to move huge goods or operate large machinery,

for example, the employee may be unable to do so. Furthermore, because they are not

performing at their best, the employee may be prone to risky mishaps. The impact on
Domestic Violence 3

productivity may not be limited to physical jobs. Even if he or she works from a desk, the

individual may be frequently distracted due to the stress connected with domestic abuse.

Distraction may cause the employee to enter incorrect data and values, which could have

disastrous consequences for the firm (Widiss, 2007). A mistake in a company's accounting

records, for example, could result in a loss of millions of dollars.

Domestic violence also has an influence on productivity through absenteeism. Domestic

abuse is responsible for a considerable portion of workplace absenteeism across all industries,

according to research (Perrone, 1999). Absenteeism occurs when an employee is assaulted by his

or her spouse the night before and is unable to return to work the next day (Swanberg & Logan

2005). Because every employee's participation is required to meet daily organizational goals, an

absent employee indicates the overall goal will not be fulfilled (Widiss, 2007). The net result is a

loss in organizational productivity.

The enormous repercussions of domestic violence at work require the attention of

managers' employers, job supervisors, and even security personnel on the job (Dougan and

Wells, 2007). It is the responsibility of management in particular to recognize such cases and

devise solutions to address the issues. Employees who have been victims of domestic abuse

(many of whom are women) need assistance in any manner they may get it. Every individual in

the organization need an effective workplace response, which includes safety plans (Dougan and

Wells, 2007). The safety plan should be founded on a couple of factors, one of which is the

victim's information and the other being the victim's preference. Another issue to take into

account is the workplace's capability.

While a manager or employer may initially be motivated solely by humanitarian concerns

to assist an employee who exhibits signs of domestic violence, the perplexing business costs and
Domestic Violence 4

increased legal liability exposure that employees face force them to address the issue beyond the

humanitarian framework (Felblinger & Gates, 2008).

Employers and managers, on the other hand, must take a proactive approach to dealing

with this problem (Dougan and Wells, 2007). The fundamental purpose of such an effort should

be to establish a safer working environment by giving support to all employees who have been

victims of domestic violence while also providing guidance to all employees and supervisors on

how to respond appropriately if such situations emerge at work (Dougan and Wells, 2007).

The first step in dealing with domestic abuse and avoiding its effects from entirely

spilling over to the workplace is to implement a cultural shift that allows employees to come out

and disclose that they are experiencing domestic violence-related concerns. Mitigation methods

can only be implemented once the employee admits to the problem (Brown & Stephens, 2006).

As previously said, the management or leadership of the business must demonstrate

commitment to dealing with the crisis. In reality, the key to a successful domestic violence

prevention program is the organization's top leadership's unwavering dedication. Employees may

show concern for a coworker who is a victim of domestic violence, but they may be powerless to

intervene. Furthermore, if management demonstrates a strong commitment to the issue,

employees will begin to take it more seriously as well.

Domestic violence should not be lumped in with other forms of workplace violence

because it is such a sensitive subject. Managers should adopt a separate policy that addresses

only workplace violence (Robertson, 1998).

Domestic violence policy should primarily focus on providing information and

appropriate referrals to victims of domestic violence. For example, the policy should include

topics such as security, time off provision, and strategies to deal with performance-related issues
Domestic Violence 5

(Fitzgerald et al., 1998). It's also important to remember that policies shouldn't be written in such

a way that the manager or employer appears to be a counselor or an expert on the subject

(Gaines, 2000). Instead, rules should be designed solely to reduce the impact of domestic

violence on the workplace and to connect victims to community resources that can help them

deal with their problems.

The next crucial stage in dealing with domestic violence concerns is training. Every

single stakeholder in the firm, including managers and employees, should receive training

(Dillon, 2013). They should be educated in order to thoroughly comprehend the idea of domestic

violence as well as the legal framework that regulates the organization's domestic violence policy

(The training should include a clear overview of the necessary measures to be taken as well as

referrals available to the management and coworkers (Robertson, 1998).

A manager might use a variety of effective techniques to deal with employees who appear to be

in imminent risk as a result of domestic violence.

First and foremost, managers must communicate their concerns about the employee's safety. The

management must then suggest to the employee different organizations that can assist in

resolving the issue. For instance, the manager can suggest that the employee seek help from the

Employee Assistance Program (Robertson, 1998). Alternatively, the manager may suggest that

the employee use other available resources.

When it comes to intimate matters, though, there is always the risk of crossing lines.

Managers should avoid becoming overly involved in a situation since doing so could make it

even more harmful than it really is. Managers, for example, should exercise caution when

providing counseling services to an employee who has been a victim, or even giving them favors
Domestic Violence 6

such as money, sheltering them at one's house, or conducting random checks at the employee's

home (Dougan and Wells, 2007).

Domestic violence victims are not the only ones who work in the workplace. Individuals

who commit acts of domestic violence themselves may be found in the workplace. In this regard,

the corporation should take a firm stance on these matters, imposing harsh disciplinary measures

and even dismissing employees suspected of domestic abuse (Robertson, 1998). The National

Football League (NFL), which recently banned Ray Rice, a player accused of domestic abuse

and assaulting his wife, is a recent example of an institution taking a strong stance against

domestic violence.

Other policies that may be useful in reducing domestic violence incidents include

prohibiting the use of company telecommunication channels such as fax machines, emails, and

phones to harass employees' partners, for example (Johnson & Gardner,1999). Employees who

are caught using these technologies to harass partners should face severe disciplinary action, and

if they continue to do so, they should be fired from their jobs to serve as role models for those

who may have the same propensity.

Fazit

Domestic abuse has far-reaching consequences in the workplace. Increased absenteeism,

decreased productivity, and growing levels of organizational health care expenditures and

insurance are common manifestations of these consequences. Domestic violence at work, on the

other hand, has a primary effect on productivity. It has also been demonstrated that workplace

incidents of domestic violence are on the rise, necessitating fast and proper management action.

The impacts of domestic abuse at work have been found to warrant the attention of managers'
Domestic Violence 7

employers, job supervisors, and even security personnel. It is the responsibility of management

in particular to recognize such cases and devise solutions to address the issues.

The study found that when management demonstrates a strong commitment to tackling

domestic violence, employees are more likely to treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves.

Adequate domestic violence policies should be implemented, and all relevant stakeholders,

including managers and staff, should be trained. However, extreme caution should be exercised

in not exceeding the appropriate boundaries, since this could result in much more devastating

effects.
Domestic Violence 8

References

E. Dillon (2013, November). Workplace violence and domestic violence The 141st Annual

Meeting and Exposition of the American Public Health Association (November 2-

November 6, 2013). APHA.

S. Dougan and K. Wells (2007). Workplace Policies and Management Strategies for Domestic

Violence 7, 1–8. Commission on Domestic Violence.

D. M. Felblinger and D. M. Gates (2008). Workplace screening and treatment for domestic

Violence. 56(4), 143-150, AAOHN journal: official publication of the American

Association of Occupational Health Nurses.

S. Fitzgerald, J. Dienemann, and M. F. Cadorette (1998). In the workplace, there is domestic

Violence. 219-228 in Plastic Surgical Nursing, 18(4).

Gaines, J. M. (2000). Employer Liability for Domestic Violence in the Workplace: Are

Employers on a Precarious Tightrope with No Safety Net 31, 139, Tex. Tech. L. Rev.

P. R. Johnson and S. Gardner (1999). Developing a company reaction to domestic abuse in the

Workplace. 590-597 in Journal of Management Development, 18(7).

S. Perrone, S (1999). Workplace Violence is a serious problem. Australian Institute of

Criminology, Canberra, Australia.

Addressing Domestic Violence in the Workplace: An Employer's Responsibility, Law & Ineq.,

16, 633 (1998). Robertson, J. C.

T. K. Logan, Swanberg, J. E. Swan (2005). A qualitative study of domestic abuse and

Employment. 10(1), 3. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.