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Domestic violence is your business

By Ralph Ferguson

Many employers are becoming enlightened to the impact that domestic abuse can have on the workplace.

Domestic violence is often considered a personal and private matter, but the results spill over daily into our communities, our schools and our businesses.

Recent studies indicate that workplace violence is often precipitated by abuse that begins at home.

There is currently a move in the corporate world to transform attitudes concerning domestic violence and to influence the behaviors of employees, managers and associates to stop the cycle of this increasing social problem.

An employee who is also a victim of domestic abuse cannot leave the problem at home. Those affected bring the problem and its stresses along with them to work, not only affecting their performance, but often having a bearing on other employees and their performance as well.

Domestic abuse lowers productivity in your business by causing increased tardiness or absenteeism, lack of concentration due to preoccupation with the problem, and lack of sleep.

Increased phone calls or e-mailing during work hours interfere with work tasks. The overwhelming fear of confrontation has a paralyzing affect on performance.

This fear is well-founded, because an abuser often contacts the victim in the workplace, causing havoc and risk to everyone around.

Even though increased awareness had brought domestic violence issues to the forefront, many employers are in denial. Deciding that these issues are someone else’s problem, they also decide that it can’t happen in their workplace.

Unfortunately, domestic abuse does happen unexpectedly in businesses across the country and the results are often grim. Incidents of employees stalked and maimed or killed at work are reported weekly, putting other employees and customers at great risk.

Seventy four percent of victims report that they have been harassed at work and 20 percent of workplace deaths are due to incidents that arose from domestic issues.

Domestic violence can also follow your customers or clients to your workplace. In a recent incident in Fayette County, a domestic abuser followed his victim to a dentist’s office, shooting her and putting employees and other clients on site in grave danger.

A teacher in a nearby county was confronted in the classroom by her abuser, risking not only her life, but the lives of students and other school personnel.

Employees and customers of restaurants or other public places are often in the news when domestic violence spills over and endangers innocent bystanders. Domestic abuse issues are everyone’s concern, as it can affect us all.

A recent sampling revealed that over one-third of both male and female employees have experienced domestic physical, emotional, verbal or sexual abuse and almost one-half of female employees have coped with these issues.

Thirty-seven percent of victims report that abuse has had a negative impact on their work performance.

Health care costs associated with family violence are estimated in the hundreds of millions each year, much of it paid by employers through medical programs and insurance benefits.

Business can help stop the cycle of domestic abuse first by recognizing that there is a workplace connection to this problem.

Learn to recognize possible danger signals of employees who may be involved, and offer support through counseling, informational resources, heightened security measures and increased awareness on the part of all employees and managers.

Ignoring domestic abuse will not make it go away. The impact that it can have can be not only dangerous, but costly and debilitating in the workplace. A proactive stance can alleviate or disrupt the fallout from these situations.

The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence offers resources and information for company policies, plans and awareness distribution items concerning domestic violence in the workplace.

Visit their website at www.caepv.org. Other excellent sources for information are The National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.ndvh.org” and www.endabuse.org.

In Fayette County, Promise Place (formerly known as the Fayette County Council on Domestic Violence) strives to break the cycle of domestic abuse.

Promise Place offers help, hope and resources to victims in this area and also has resources for educational and informational materials for community awareness.

If you know of employees who need assistance, or if you want more information, please contact Promise Place at 770-460-1604 or visit the website at www.promiseplace.org.

There is also a hotline support number at 770-468-1673 for victims needing help.

Promise Place is a non-profit organization that depends solely on contributions and grants. Any donations are welcome and sincerely appreciated.

These can be mailed to Promise Place at P.O. Box 854, Fayetteville, GA 30214. Domestic violence is everybody’s business.

[Ralph Ferguson is treasurer and a member of the board of directors of Promise Place.]