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| Risk Management |
| Violence In the Workplace: When Domestic Abuse Comes to Work |
When one of your employees is being abused at home, you have a responsibility and an obligation to get involved, not only to be supportive of an abused employee, but as a means of protecting that employee’s co-workers.
Because an abuser is likely to know his or her victim’s work schedule well, the job site becomes a simple place to initiate an attack. Seventy percent of victims of abuse report that their abusers have harassed them at work, either by phone or in person.
As an employer you can take several steps to assist an abused employee. Be supportive, first of all, by noticing signs of abuse. Be sensitive to your employee’s embarrassment, pain, and right to privacy, but don’t simply ignore the problem. Many employers support victims by providing counseling, time off for court hearings, and even financial assistance such as paying for the cost of a court-issued restraining order. One employer goes so far as to document evidence of abuse with photographs.
Suggest that your employee keep copies of any court orders at work and that they provide supervisors or security personnel with a photograph of the abuser. Be accommodating of a victim’s fear of working, or even eating lunch, alone.
Be sure to consult our Human Resources Department any time there is a concern for a workplace risk. We can help.
For more information, check out the American Bar Association’s website for details about their new program called “Domestic Violence: It’s Everyone’s Business.” at http://www.abanet.org/tips/dvsafety.html.
Source: “Workplace Violence: Violence Victims Pose Avoidable Workplace Risks.” HR Wire
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