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Domestic violence is a workplace issue

Employers can do a lot more to help combat a depressingly persistent problem

It is obvious that many companies will have domestic abuse offenders, as well as survivors, on staff.

Pilita Clark's face
Pilita Clark
Mon May 13 2024 - 06:00

I grew up in Australia so I am used to a certain pattern of antipodean headlines. Monster bushfires. Raucous politics. Insufferably cocky cricketers.

But the past few weeks have brought news I did not expect to see in 2024: thousands of Australians have poured on to streets across the country to rally against what prime minister Anthony Albanese has called a “national crisis” of violence against women.

A spate of recent deaths meant one woman had been killed every four days on average this year, Albanese posted. Three died in the space of eight weeks in and around the inland city of Ballarat, Victoria, less than a two-hour drive from my childhood home. Another died last month in the town of Forbes, west of Sydney, allegedly at the hands of an ex-boyfriend who had been granted bail after being charged with several violent offences against her.

The problem is by no means confined to Australia, where levels of so-called ‘intimate partner violence’ in the country match the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average

Her death galvanised calls to reform bail laws that campaigners have long said prioritise the rights of offenders. At the time of writing, politicians were still in the process of responding.

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The problem is by no means confined to Australia, where levels of so-called “intimate partner violence” in the country match the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average.

But new official figures showed the annual rate of women killed by a partner in the country rose by nearly 30 per cent in 2022-23, having fallen steadily over the past 30 years.

Governments should take the lead on this issue, of course, but the Australian toll is a reminder that other groups can and should do more, including employers.

The idea that domestic abuse is a workplace issue is not immediately obvious. I admit that when I first learned that companies such as Vodafone, L’Oréal, Unilever and Accor had specific policies on the issue, I was surprised. But it makes sense when you consider the impact this type of abuse has in the workplace, and what employers can do to help.

UK research estimates domestic abuse costs as much as £14 billion (€16.3 billion) a year in lost output from lower productivity and time off work. That’s one reason the UK advises employers to consider the effect of domestic abuse on staff as part of their duty of care.

Many employers say they recognise the problem, but some studies suggest as few as 5 per cent have a detailed policy to address it

The problem has a ripple effect. Nearly 40 per cent of people affected by domestic violence say their co-workers were also affected, a Canadian study showed. Most were stressed or concerned but in some cases colleagues can be threatened or physically harmed.

Many employers say they recognise the problem, but some studies suggest as few as 5 per cent have a detailed policy to address it.

That is a shame considering how much companies can do to help people leave abusive relationships, which can take an average of seven attempts to escape.

To start, they can raise awareness and advertise outside services for anyone suffering abuse, most of whom are women.

But they can also offer concrete practical help, such as financial assistance, temporary accommodation or paid leave to help staff deal with lawyers, arrange new housing, or go to court.

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Businesses such as L’Oréal will also shift staff to new work locations if needed; provide new mobile phone numbers and email addresses to those suffering harassment; and offer safe car parking options. Reception desks can be alerted about the identity of abusers.

Considering that official figures show one in three women worldwide have suffered physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime, it is obvious that many companies will have domestic abuse offenders, as well as survivors, on staff.

All this underlines another vital argument for business involvement: it helps to change social attitudes

That is why some companies have disciplinary procedures that can lead to dismissal if company phones or computers are used to harass anyone, inside or outside the workplace.

All this underlines another vital argument for business involvement: it helps to change social attitudes. Domestic violence flourishes when it is regarded as relatively normal. When an employer makes it clear such abuse is unacceptable, it sends a message inside the company and beyond.

Ultimately, any company that claims to take its employees’ welfare seriously is in effect breaching its own strategy if it fails to take domestic abuse seriously, say analysts such as Monika Queisser. She is head of social policy at the OECD, where most member governments now regard violence against women as a top gender equality priority. I think she is right. Companies cannot fight violence against women alone. But they can achieve much more than many imagine.

— Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2024

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