The impact of domestic violence in the workplace

Interactive training improves workplace climate, knowledge, and support towards domestic violence

“…About 30% of women are affected worldwide and over one‐third (35.6%) of women in the US experience IPV in their lifetime [Black et al, ; World Health Organization, ]. IPV often results in long‐term negative health, economic and social consequences for the survivor and their family, including effects on the survivor's workplace and employment security [Swanberg et al, ; Warshaw et al, ; Tolman, ; LaVan et al, ].This study addresses priorities outlined by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Violence Prevention Research [NIOSH, ]. Specifically, our study focuses on workplace violence category Type IV, Personal Relationships, when the perpetrator does not have a relationship with the workplace, but has a personal relationship with an employee who is the intended victim, most often an intimate or ex‐intimate partner.…”

“…Research has demonstrated IPV spillover to the workplace, affecting productivity and safety [Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, ; Plichta, ; Arias and Corso, ; Swanberg and Logan, ; Swanberg et al, ; CAEPV‐Corporate Alliance To End Partner Violence, ; Reeves and O'Leary‐Kelly, ; Rivara et al, ; Crowne et al, ; Tolman, ; Adams et al, ; LaVan et al, ; Swanberg et al, ; Mankowski et al, ; World Health Organization, ; Laharnar et al, ]. Work related consequences of IPV may include: (i) abuser using work‐interference tactics (harassing co‐workers, affecting employee's ability to get to work, stay at work), (ii) absenteeism due to illness, injury, safety challenges and/or mental health, (iii) reduced job performance and productivity due to employee's difficulty concentrating, safety concerns and absence, (iv) increased workplace costs due to loss of productivity and increased insurance costs (average annual workplace costs for an IPV survivor: $2,400 for absenteeism, $4,300 for workplace distraction, $80 for tardiness; [Reeves and O'Leary‐Kelly, ], and (v) homicide in the workplace, over‐one third (38%) of all female murders in the workplace (1982–2011) were committed by intimate or ex‐intimate partners [U.S. Department of Labor, ].…”

Retail manager decision-making during crisis

“…Considering 95% of domestic violence victims are women (LaVan, Lopez, Katz, & Martin, 2012), and roughly half of the American workforce is female (Johnson & Gardner, 1999;Katula, 2012), simple math tells us how commonplace these incidents can be in the workplace. Crisis and acts of violence also do not have to occur at work to affect the workplace (Robertson, 1998).…”

“…Recent studies have shown that crises like violence and threats of violence are very real obstacles to the daily operation of many organizations (LaVan et al, 2012). Management often fails to plan for them (Wilkinson, 2001), and schools, hospitals, and businesses have all been targets.…”

“…Though response to violence has improved over time, homicide is still the leading cause of death for women in the workplace (LaVan et al, 2012). Understandably, much attention is paid to the victims and ways to prevent further violence against them.…”