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A Report Produced by the Ramsey County Initiative for Violence-Free Families and Communities
Publication Date: Not available
Several years ago, companies were still debating whether or not domestic violence was a workplace issue. After all, weren't we supposed to stay out of employees' personal issues and stick to those that were job related? The statistics, of course, are staggering, but those things happen at other companies, not ours.
Fortunately, the debate is now over. Too many of us in all types of organizations have personally observed the ways domestic violence impacts each and every one of us. Whether those lessons were learned within our own organization or another we have read about, we've discovered it is happening all around us. No workplace is immune. The media has done a great job educating us about risks; that the workplace is frequently the only place the victim may be located by her partner; or that two out of three times, someone other than the intended target is injured.
When domestic violence occurs, the fear and anticipation of violence can significantly diminish the victim's ability to be productive. That fear also extends to co-workers and supervisors, who, because they work in close proximity to the victim, realize they could be in harm's way if a violent act occurs.
These are real situations that serve to create fear in our employees and the risk of violence in our workplace.
Fear has a profound effect on all of us. It affects our ability to concentrate and be productive. But a victim's fear is particularly unique and profound. It is frequently misunderstood not only by males, but by other females who have had no similar personal experiences. As a result, a woman may be reluctant to report a threat or an attack. She may be unwilling to leave an abusive relationship because she fears her risk will increase. If the incident is reported at work, she may fear the loss of her job, or pressure from peers or her boss to take action which she is not yet ready to take. Or perhaps she fears the unknown - how the employer will react to a threat that may impact the workplace. The more effective a company is in creating an environment where a victim feels safe to report problems, the more successful it will be in learning about these types of risks before there are violent outcomes.
Addressing domestic violence in the workplace does not have to be accompanied by a large budget. Safety precautions may be as simple as allowing a victim to use flexible hours so her arrivals and departures are not predictable; providing a temporary cellular phone to increase her safety as she travels back and forth to work; temporarily transferring her to a different office site; or simply having emergency procedures in place in the event a situation escalates.
Every organization has an opportunity to make a difference by:
Early detection of problems provides organizations an opportunity to reduce and manage risk. This workbook is a tool - a tool which can help you and your organization make a difference. It outlines steps you can take to help curtail domestic violence, for the good of your workplace, your employees, customers, and your community.
-Judi Nevonen, US Bancorp
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, homicide is the leading cause of death of women in the workplace.
What Is Family Violence? What is Domestic Violence?
Family violence falls into the categories of child abuse, partner/spousal abuse, sibling abuse, elder abuse and dating violence. It is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors,including physical, sexual, psychological attacks, and economic coercion which result in causing hurt, fear, injury, suffering or death.
Currently, most instances of family violence in the workplace are in the form of partner abuse. Partner abuse, commonly referred to as Domestic Violence, is any behavior in a relationship that is used to gain or maintain control and power over an intimate partner.
Assaulting someone is a criminal offense. No one has the right to mistreat another person. This is particularly true if that person is a wife, husband, child, parent or live-in partner.
While all forms of family violence hold the potential for affecting the workplace, it is cases of domestic violence that most often spill into the work setting. While we encourage and support workplace efforts to prevent all forms of family violence, the pages that follow focus on efforts to help prevent cases of domestic violence among your employees, as well as steps to help identify and get help to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence within your workforce.
What is the Impact?
The effects of violence that take place at home are associated with many direct and indirect costs to the workplace such as decreased productivity, increased health care costs, absenteeism, errors, employee turnover, time spent coping with problems, and acts of physical violence in the workplace. More and more, business and labor are realizing the heavy toll that domestic violence takes in terms of productivity, morale and creativity. Recent estimates put the cost of violence in the home to American companies as high as $5 billion. Contrary to most employees' beliefs and attitudes, domestic violence does not disappear when men and women leave home and enter the workplace.
For example, did you know:
Two-thirds agreed that a company's financial performance would benefit from addressing the issue of domestic violence among its employees.
Each "minor" incident carries with it the potential for a more serious event. The purpose of addressing domestic violence in the workplace is to prevent potentially dangerous situations from causing more serious harm. Employers have a unique opportunity to prevent the potential of domestic violence spilling over into the workplace, as well as to provide tools and resources to employees that can help end the epidemic of violence in America's homes.
Not only does domestic violence affect the victim at his/her workplace, it affects co-workers. As the perceived danger increases for one employee, the level of distraction and fear for co-workers also increases.
Co-workers may:
Responding to Domestic Violence In The Workplace
You are invited to be a leader in the workplace and community, to make a difference in the lives of individuals in the workplace and where they live. By making the choice to proactively address issues of domestic violence in your organization, you can:
In the United States, 86% of corporate leaders agree that companies have responsibility for the general well-being of their employees.
(Source: Addressing Domestic Violence: A Corporate Response, Liz Claiborne, August 1994)
"There are a lot of things companies can do once they recognize this is a very serious problem. And they have to recognize that it isn't just a social and moral issue. It's a financial issue."
-Jerome Rossi, President & CEO of Marshalls, Inc.
Consider the following actions to begin preventing family violence through efforts in the workplace. The recommendations and resources that follow fall into five categories:
Review the overall work environment. At this time, does your work environment exacerbate or help to prevent the potential for domestic violence?
Create a Violence-Free Company Culture. Provide training for supervisors, including general awareness of domestic violence, as well as how to ask employees about their situation and how to appropriately respond.
Supervisors need to be as supportive and tactful as possible.
Example: "If you're having problems, or if you're feeling stressed, we have a place for you to get help."
Be aware of physical or behavioral changes in employees and consult with the Human Resource Department/Employee Assistance Program for advice.
It is the supervisor's role to be aware and supportive of employee needs, but not to diagnose whether the individual is living in an unsafe home situation.
Managers/supervisors must be respectful of employees' personal choices. If a manager or supervisor observes the signs and symptoms of violence, it is appropriate to convey concern and to educate the employee regarding resources available. They need to:
Assess employee safety/security issues.
Have corporate management speak out on the issue of domestic violence and all forms of violence, and provide a supportive environment for victims of violence. (Steps outlined below and in Policies and Procedures Sections.)
Consistent, sustained messages are the key. Awareness can help lead to cultural change! Place posters and brochures in employees' locker rooms, supervisors' offices, lunch rooms, women's and men's restrooms, providing phone numbers for employees to call for help if they're a victim or a friend of one, or if they are afraid they might hurt someone they care about.
Provide buttons, bumper stickers, T-shirts and mugs with clear violence prevention messages.
A recent poll by the National Safe Workplace Institute found the following results to some of the questions outlined above:
Are there explicit procedures for encouraging victims or potential victims to report threats of domestic violence?
64% said No.
Are there procedures for protecting potential victims of domestic violence?
61% said No.
-National Safe Workplace Institute's survey of 248 corporate security and safety directors in 27 states
Develop a company policy statement regarding domestic violence that includes:
This is one of the most crucial steps in creating an awareness within the organization that domestic violence is a serious problem that will not be ignored.
Providing a benefits package which is sensitive to the needs of employees and families.
In instances where you learn that an employee is currently experiencing domestic violence in her/his life, including being stalked, please consider the following steps:
Please note that these measures can enhance the safety of the employee/victim as well as other employees and customers who could potentially be affected by incidents of family violence spilling over into your workplace.
"As an HR person, I have a responsibility to the organization to provide a staff that's productive. But I also feel a certain ethical and moral responsibility to my employees to give them an environment in which they can be productive. I can't really control their environment outside the workplace, but I can make them aware of the resources that they may want to use."
-Personnel Journal, April 1995, James Carabetta, Director of Human Resources at Wallingford, Connecticut-based Fosdick Corp., which employs 600 people.
Domestic violence presents unique and complex challenges to your workplace. In order to anticipate and prevent potentially serious situations from becoming harmful to all employees, you will need tools and resources. It is not solely your responsibility to resolve and intervene in the problem of domestic violence. Throughout the Twin Cities, schools, faith communities, neighborhood organizations, government and other institutions are working together toward the prevention of domestic violence and support for people who are experiencing it. Your responsibility is to ensure appropriate workplace responses and resources. In addition to the internal policies and services listed in previous sections, you can also link your employees to existing community resources:
Note that while these suggestions are helpful, the most important thing to remember is that employees need to know they can use these services without their job being in jeopardy and that they can trust their employer. Fostering a work environment that exhibits trust and open communication is key to ensuring employees will be able to approach their supervisor and ask for assistance.
Jennifer T. Go, University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, for drafting the "Interrupting the Cycle of Violence" section of the Workbook and Resource Guide.
Lou Powell and Cindy Anderson, Women's Advocates; Jerry Jensen, Domestic Abuse Project; Judi Nevonen, First Bank/U.S. Bancorp; Joan Bilinkoff, Health Partners; and Workplace Action Team members for their support and content in the production of this section.
Mary Elizabeth Berglund, Saint Paul, Ramsey County Department of Public Health for coordinating this effort.
Here's What's Being Done
Instituted a series of family-stress seminars.
"It is widely known that stress within the family can affect productivity in the workplace."Wendy Banks, Senior V.P. for Marketing, Liz Claiborne
An excerpt from Personnel Journal, April 1995, tells HHCC's success story:
Melissa Morbeck is an advocate for increasing awareness of and prevention of domestic violence. She's active in any way she can be in getting the word out and ensuring that victims aren't ignored. She wouldn't have the self-confidence to do these things if it weren't for a company that helped her through her trauma to rebuild her life. HHCC gave Morbeck a job when she most desperately needed one. They paid her expenses and gave her time off to take care of the legal issues surrounding her divorce. But more than that, the company, by virtue of its culture of caring for people and building relationships, helped her regain her self-esteem:
"The company gave me the opportunity to rebuild my self-esteem by extending compassion, not pity, and accountability for my job. I truly credit HHCC with the role it played in saving my life. HHCC helped me stand and walk toward life when I didn't think I was capable. That is the greatest impact a company can have in altering the life of a victim, of an employee."
If there is an emergency, dial 911.
Local (Minnesota)
National
Internet/World Wide Web
| Shelters | Location | Business Phone | Crisis Phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandra House | Blaine | 780-2332 | 780-2330 | Provides shelters, support groups, 24-hr. help line |
| Lewis House | Eagan | 452-7466 | 452-7288 | Provides shelter, support |
| Lewis House | Hastings | 651-437-1291 | - | Provides shelter, support groups, advocacy, 24-hr. help line |
| Casa De Esperanza | St. Paul | 772-1723 | 772-1611 | Bilingual Spanish speaking staff and programs. Provides shelter, support groups, advocacy, 24-hr. help line |
| Cornerstone Advocacy Service | Bloomington | 884-0376, 884-9543 | 884-0330 | Provides shelter, support groups, advocacy, 24-hr. help line |
| Eagle's Nest/Women of Nations | St. Paul | 222-5830 | 222-5836 | For Native American abused women. Provides shelter, support groups, advocacy, 24-hr. help line |
| Family Violence Network | Lake Elmo | 770-8544, TDD 490-5979 | 770-0777, TDD 490-5979 | Provides shelter, support groups, advocacy, 24-hr help line |
| Harriet Tubman Shelter | Minneapolis | 827-6105 | 827-2841 | Provides shelter, support groups, advocacy, 24-hr. help line |
| Hill Home | Lake Elmo | 490-5979 | 770-0777 | Provides shelter, support |
| Marilyn Brady House | Rochester | 1-507-285-1010 | 1-507-285-1010 | Provides shelter, advocacy, support |
| Sojourner | Minnetonka | 933-7422 | - | Provides shelter, support groups, advocacy, 24-hr. help line |
| Southern Vally Alliance | Belle Plaine | 873-4214 | - | Provides shelter, support groups, advocacy, 24-hr. help line |
| Woman House | St. Cloud | 1-320-253-6900 | 1-800-950-2203, 1-320-252-1603 | Provides shelter |
| Women's Advocates | St. Paul | 227-9966 | 227-8284 | Provides shelter, support groups, advocacy, 24-hr. help line |
| Other Resources | Location | Business Phone | Crisis Phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIHA (Black, Indian, Hispanic and Asian) | Minneapolis | 870-1193 | - | Information and referral for abused women of color |
| Citizen's Council Victim's Services | Minneapolis | 348-7874 | 340-5400 | - |
| Coalition Against Domestic Violence | Wisconsin | 1-608-255-0539 | - | - |
| Community University Health Care Center | Minneapolis | 627-4774 | 627-4774 | Services for SE Asian Battered Women |
| Domestic Abuse Office | Ramsey County | 266-2803 | - | - |
| Domestic Abuse Project | Minneapolis | 874-7063 | 874-7063 | Community intervention and education, therapy, support |
| Domestic Violence Program-Gay and Lesbian Community Action Council | Minneapolis | 822-0127, statewide: 1-800-800-0350 | 822-0661 | Provides information, support, and advocacy for same-sex partner abuse |
| Eastside Neighborhood Services | Minneapolis | 781-6011 | - | - |
| Education for Cooperative Living | Minneapolis | 521-3646 | - | - |
| Family and Children's Services | Minneapolis | 339-9101 | - | - |
| Family Services | St. Paul | 222-0311 | - | - |
| Family Violence Program/Division of Indian Work | Minneapolis | 827-1795 | 827-1795 | - |
| Family Violence Network | Suburban Ramsey County | 770-8544 | - | Provides community intervention, education, therapy, support |
| Father's Resource Center | Minneapolis/St. Paul | 874-1509, 290-4709 | - | - |
| IBCA Battered Women's Program | Minneapolis | 871-7878 | - | African-American family services |
| Men's Center | - | 822-5892 | - | - |
| Men's Support Group | - | 379-6363 | - | - |
| Methodist Hosptial AdvoCare Program | Minneapolis | 939-8656 | - | - |
| MN Coalition of Battered Women | St. Paul | 646-0994 | - | Community education, resource library, provides advocacy for victims of abuse |
| Project P.E.A.C.E. | Brooklyn Center, Robbinsdale, Maple Grove | 533-0733 | 536-1850 | Provides advocacy, intervention, support groups |
| St. Paul Domestic Abuse Intervention Project | St. Paul | 645-2824 | - | Support groups, advocacy, 24-hr. help line |
| Unity/Waite House | Minneapolis | 721-1681 | 529-9267 | Provides advocacy, GEC, job banks, child care, legal services |
| Wilder Community Assistance | St. Paul | 221-0048 | 221-0048 | - |
| Wilder Domestic Abuse Program | Blaine | 783-4583 | - | - |
| WomanKind | Burnsville, Edina, Minneapolis | 892-2500, 924-5775, 672-2700 | - | Provides 24-hr. help line, advocacy, education, consultation, volunteer program, support |
Serious violence at the workplace may be prevented by paying attention to the signs of domestic violence when they first appear.
A victim of domestic violence may not show any of these signs, and, taken individually, each one of these signs may apply to every employee on a given day. These indicators should be examined as a whole and provide a frame-work to assess the extent to which a problem may exist.
Once you determine there are signs of domestic violence, it is helpful to ascertain the type of situation you may be dealing with. There are a number of questions that will need to be answered, and the first step is to gather information. The best source of information is the victim - the employee. In domestic violence situations, the victim is an essential part of developing a plan for keeping the workplace safe.
This document has been provided for your use through the generous assistance of the Ramsey County Initiative for Violence Free Families and Communities. For more information about Initiative activities, contact Don Gault or Mary Elizabeth Berglund at (612) 266-2461.
The following projects are a part of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA):
MINCAVA Electronic
Clearinghouse | The Link Research
Project | Violence
Against Women Online Resources
VAWnet (Applied Research
Forum) | Minnesota Rural Project
for Women and Child Safety
MINCAVA is directed by Jeffrey L. Edleson,
PhD.
File Last Modified: 42. Copyright © 1995 - 2005 Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse