Domestic Violence in the Workplace

DOMESTIC VOILENCE IN THE WORK PLACE

Domestic violence or relationship violence as it is sometimes referred is not just a problem in the home anymore.

Contrary to popular opinion, studies show that domestic abuse victims are more likely to be employed than not. According to the American Institute on Domestic Violence, relationship abuse occurs at work with surprising regularity.

Because Domestic violence is such a taboo subject in most of corporate America, employers won’t address it. And, because it carries such a stigma, victims will not talk about it. Of the approximately 1.7 million incidents of workplace violence that occur in the US every year, 18,700 are committed by an intimate partner.

Many companies believe that relationship issues belong in the home and not at work and should be handled accordingly, however as a business owner and surviving victim of domestic abuse, I know it is not just a problem at home, it is a very serious problem in our community and should be addressed in every workplace high powered or other .

It is more than just a family problem when abuse can cost employers over 3 Billion dollars a year, also, violence victims lose nearly 8.0 million days of paid work each year, the equivalent if more than 32,000 full time jobs.

How can we combat this very serious problem? First we need more awareness about the issues related to relationship abuse. Here are some things you can look for; if you see that a co-worker is missing a lot of work days, if she withdraws, keeping to herself and not talking much, if she seems distracted and unable to concentrate on her work, if she is wearing long sleeves in summer and dark glasses inside, these are possible signs of abuse.

Most victims are afraid of losing their jobs if they talk about what they are going through. If you noticed any of the things I mentioned, let her know that you can see something is not quite right and you are there to listen, not to judge or criticize her. The objective is to get her to open up so she can get help.

We all need to start talking about domestic abuse, putting aside the stigma so we can save the lives of these women. Putting resource information about help lines and shelters in the ladies room at work is one way to offer resource information discretely. Making information available in the human resource department is another. In order to fight this monster we need to band together, acknowledge that domestic abuse is a serious problem in our communities and work with different the different agencies toraise awareness.

If you are a victim, there is nothing to be ashamed of, it is not your fault, do not be afraid to ask for help.

For more information about Domestic Abuse at work contact the American Institute on Domestic Violence (505) 973-2225 or for help, call the National Domestic Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

My name is Darlene Greene;

Iam the founder ofa resource foundation in memory of my sister;

The Ina Mae Greene Foundation /For My Sisters, a non-profit organization that is an information highway for abuse victims. We refer victims to police victims’ services, counseling or shelters, anything they need to get their lives back. Visit our web site; inamaegreene.com for more information about us and what we do.