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How Can You Address Domestic Violence at Your Workplace?

In the last edition of the Regional, we looked at what Bill 168 has to say about domestic violence, what drove the Ministry of Labour (MOL) to include it in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and how domestic violence plays a role in the workplace.  Click here to read part 1 of the story.

In part 2 of our spotlight on this important topic, we address the challenges in recognizing domestic violence in the workplace, the benefits of addressing it head-on, and what short and long-term preventative measures you can put in place.

What to look for

Many workplaces tend to focus on physical hazards—things that are observable in an inspection. Violence, on the other hand, is difficult to see until it happens. It often enters the workplace from the outside, a characteristic that is particularly true for domestic violence. This requires employers to look at work situations in a different way: to anticipate what could happen, rather than observe what is happening. 

Another reality is that domestic violence that spills into the workplace doesn’t just affect the victim; it threatens co-workers, too. Employers should take action if they see such signs as the perpetrator repeatedly phoning or emailing the victim at work, or showing up at the workplace and asking co-workers questions about the victim.

It’s important to realize that victims may not ask for help. Often they fail to realize that what they are enduring is domestic violence; similarly, employers and co-workers may not recognize the signs. Fortunately, people in trouble—no matter what age, race, religion, sexual orientation, economic status or education—often put out the same clues; for example, attitudes of sadness, loneliness, fear; difficulty concentrating on a task; and missing work more often than usual.

Why do employers need to be involved?

High-performing organizations care about their employees’ safety at work. They know that fostering workers’ personal safety and well-being has far-reaching benefits that affect productivity and the bottom line. When domestic violence poisons the workplace, it affects more than people; it also leads to

• reduced employee productivity;
• increased absenteeism;
• replacement, recruitment and training costs when victims are injured or dismissed for poor performance;
• higher company health expenses;
• decreased employee morale;
• strained relations among co-workers;
• potential harm to employees, co-workers and/or customers when violent abusers enter the workplace;
• liability costs if someone at the workplace is harmed.

What employers can do

Once employers become aware that domestic violence could enter or occur in the workplace, “taking every reasonable precaution” to protect staff simply becomes part of the prevention initiative being rolled out for violence and harassment in general.

Precautions you can implement immediately:

• Make a clear statement to staff that any violence, domestic violence included, will not be tolerated in the workplace or on the property.
• Clarify for staff the steps you will take in the event of an incident, complaint or threat of domestic violence, including consequences for abusers who may work in the organization.
• Post a list of community resources in washrooms, staff rooms and on the company intranet.
• Offer Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, if available.
• Assure the victim of domestic violence that you will do what you can to help: ask the individual for help in identifying opportunities to make the workplace safer.  
• Allow work schedule flexibility; e.g. change in start and finish time; transfer to different work locations.
• Ensure that victims understand that your responsibility extends to the safety of all other staff, but that confidentiality will, as much as possible, be maintained.

Longer-term strategies:

• Embed domestic violence in your violence and harassment policy, and make sure your supporting program includes tried and true emergency and reporting protocols.
• Develop a personal safety plan specifically to protect the victim at work, such as accommodating alternative work arrangements, schedule flexibility, change in start/finish time, transfers to another work location, and arrangements to ensure safety in arriving and leaving work.
• Provide regular supervisor and worker training and education about domestic violence and the resources available.

The single most important first step employers can take is becoming aware that domestic violence is a workplace hazard, and the second is to build a culture that encourages staff to share their fears without infringing on privacy rights.

Here are two booklets created by the Occupational Health & Safety Council of Ontario that might be helpful to employers as well as co-workers of victims of domestic violence.

   

 

For further information please call OSSA at 1-888-478-6772 email info@ossa.com or visit www.ossa.com. 

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