Overview
Domestic violence becomes workplace violence when it happens at or impacts the workplace.
Often, employers don’t see domestic violence as a workplace hazard. But it can have a negative effect on the victim, their co-workers and the organization. Some may believe domestic violence is a personal issue and there’s nothing they can do about it. This makes it even harder for a victim to ask for help.
Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviour used by one person to gain power and control over another with whom they have or have had an intimate relationship, according to The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). It can include many forms of physically or psychologically violent behaviours.
There are many dimensions to violence in a domestic relationship, such as:
- Using property, pets, or children to threaten and intimidate.
- Economic abuse, such as withholding or stealing money, stopping a partner from reporting to work, or preventing them from getting or keeping a job.
- Sexual, spiritual, or emotional abuse.
People experiencing domestic violence often feel isolated. They may feel ashamed or worry their situation will affect their employment. They may be afraid to say anything. Those who suspect an employee may be a victim of domestic violence are often afraid to approach this subject or intervene for many reasons. This further isolation increases the risk to victims experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic violence can have the following impacts on the workplace:
- Potential harm to employees, co-workers and/or clients
- Decreased employee morale
- Strained co-worker relations
- Reduced productivity and motivation
- Increased replacement, recruitment and training costs if victims are let go for poor performance or absenteeism
Organizational strategies
CCOHS suggests as part of a workplace violence prevention policy, employers should know how to:
Identify warning signs: People experiencing domestic violence may be more likely to report it to a co-worker than others in the workplace. Training can help all employees recognize the warning signs and risk factors for domestic violence.
Establish a support network: Various people can offer support to employees experiencing domestic violence. Working together in a team may be a helpful approach to providing a supportive network. This team could include the supervisor, a trusted co-worker, human resources, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider and union representatives.
Develop a safety plan: Create both individualized and workplace safety plans to address the situation. Review and update plans as circumstances change. After speaking to the employee and ensuring confidentiality, share the plans with anyone who needs to know. You can establish a safety plan by working with the employee to:
- Establish a restraining or protection order against their abuser and help them make sure all the conditions are followed.
- Share a recent photo or description of the abuser. Alert others, such as security and reception, so they’re aware of whom to be on the lookout for.
- Move the victim’s workstation so they can’t be seen through windows, hallways or from outside.
- Don’t include their contact information in public company directories or websites.
- Change their work phone number. Have another person screen their calls or block the abuser's calls or emails.
- Pre-program 911 on a phone or cell phone. Install a panic button in the victim’s work area or provide personal alarms.
- Provide a well-lit parking spot near the building or have someone escort the individual to their car or to public transit.
- Offer flexible work scheduling if it can be helpful.
- Call the police if the abuser shows signs of criminal activity. This can include acts like stalking or unauthorized electronic monitoring.
- If the victim and abuser are both employees, clients, customers, patients, vendors, or suppliers within the same organization, ensure they're not scheduled to work at the same time or come into contact.
- If the victim and abuser work at the same organization, establish disciplinary procedures to hold the abuser accountable for unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.
- Follow up and check on how the solutions are working.
Adapted from: Making It Our Business (2014) from the Centre for Research & Education on Violence against Women & Children
Protecting employees
Starting a conversation about domestic violence with an employee can be difficult. Your role as an employer or supervisor is not to be a counsellor. Your job is to approach the employee in a professional, sensitive manner, find out what help they need and help them find it.
When an employee tells you about abuse, don't respond with shock or dismay. It can help to make a strong statement of support, such as, "No one deserves to be abused." When talking with an employee, your role is to:
- Provide initial support.
- Discuss the specific steps to help this employee in the workplace.
- Refer the employee to available resources in the community or to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
How to start a supportive conversation
When addressing the issue of domestic violence with an employee, ensure you:
- Offer to meet in a private and confidential environment.
- Clearly identify any job performance concerns you've observed. For example, “I noticed you're having some trouble meeting your deadlines and you don't seem quite yourself. Is there anything I can do to help?”
- Express empathy that personal issues can interfere with work performance.
- Are aware that domestic violence victims and offenders can be of any gender. Refrain from referring to abusers only as “he”.
- Use respectful language. Call a person by their name or refer to the nature of the relationship such as “your partner,” “your spouse,” or “your friend”. Avoid using labels such as “abuser” or “batterer”.
- Are sensitive and avoid accusing, diagnosing or drawing conclusions about the situation.
- Listen to what the employee has to say and support them to seek help.
- Develop a plan to help the employee maintain job performance and a strategy to put in place.
- Recommend that the employee speak to a trained counsellor. Resources may include an Employee Assistance Plan or crisis line counsellors, and other domestic abuse prevention professionals in the community.
- Help the employee determine if the abuser's behaviour may put others in the workplace at risk.
- If it seems like others in the workplace might be in danger, work with the employee to find a way to keep other staff safe without breaching confidentiality.
When starting a conversation with the employee, use language that indicates why you’re concerned and shows you’re there to support them. For example:
- “I’ve noticed recently that you’ve seemed jumpy on the job, and I want to check in to make sure everything is okay. Please know that we value your safety. If there's anything you need to discuss or if you need support, we’re here for you. Your confidentiality is a priority.”
- “I’ve noticed recently that you seem distracted at work and want to check in to make sure everything is okay. Please know that we value your safety. If there's anything you need to discuss or if you need support, we're here for you. Your confidentiality is a priority.”
- “I’ve noticed recently that you haven’t been coming to work functions which isn’t normal for you. I want to check in to make sure everything is okay. Please know that we value your safety. If there's anything you need to discuss or if you need support, we're here for you. Your confidentiality is a priority.”
Adapted from Safe@Work coalition.
Additional resources
The following are links to resources that may be of interest to you:
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety – Violence in the Workplace – Domestic Violence
- Bill 168: Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace). (2009) Retrieved from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
- Family Violence Prevention Program Employer's Toolkit, Government of Manitoba
- Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime
- Can Work be Safe, When Home Isn't? Initial Findings of a Pan-Canadian Survey on Domestic Violence and the Workplace. (2014) London, ON: Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women and Children | PDF.
- Domestic Violence Doesn't Stop When Your Worker Arrives at Work: What Employers Need to Know | PDF
- Someone you care about may be experiencing domestic abuse