HR Pulse

Domestic violence and the workplace

The 25th of November 2014 marked the start of the annual 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children. The aim of this campaign is to combat abuse through education and awareness. Although statistics around domestic violence are limited, surveys by the South African Medical Council found that 40% of men admitted to hitting their partners while one in four men who participated in the survey admitted to having raped a women.

While domestic violence was always viewed as a private matter these staggering statistics prove that domestic violence has now become an issue that needs to be addressed globally.


Domestic violence is not often seen as a workplace issue but it should be recognised that domestic violence affects productivity and increases absenteeism. A project called, Employers against Domestic Violence highlighted that:

• 24% of women between the ages of 18 – 65 have experienced domestic violence
• 74% of employed battered women were harassed by their partner while at work. This caused 56% of them to be late for work at least 5 times per month, 28% to leave early at least five days per month and 54% to miss at least three full days of work a month
• The total health care costs of family violence are estimated in the hundreds of millions each year, much of which is paid for by the employer
• 71% of EAP providers surveyed have dealt with an employee being stalked at work by a current or former partner, and 83% have assisted an employee with a protection order
• 78% of Human Resources professionals polled by Personnel Journal said that domestic violence is a workplace issue.

It also appeared that not, only the victim of domestic violence will experience an impact on work, but that the perpetrator could also be less productive or miss work because of violence, incarceration or legal proceedings resulting from the violence.

Employers know and understand that personal problems, like domestic violence affect job performance, and that job performance affects the bottom line. Domestic violence is a serious, recognisable and preventable problem and it is therefore important that HR managers and line managers are made aware of the various aspects linked to domestic violence. This will help managers recognise possible risk and empower them to proactively mitigate the risk by providing support and guidance.

Types of Domestic Violence

Warning Signs of Domestic Violence

Although we don’t always know what goes on behind the closed doors of our employees’ homes, there are some signs that we can look out for when it comes to domestic violence:

General warning signs of domestic abuse

People who are being abused may:

• Seem afraid or anxious to please their partner
• Go along with everything their partner says and does
• Check in often with their partner to report where they are and what they’re doing
• Receive frequent, harassing phone calls from their partner
• Talk about their partner’s temper, jealousy, or possessiveness

Warning signs of physical violence

People who are being physically abused may:

• Have frequent injuries, with the excuse of “accidents”
• Frequently miss work, or social occasions, without explanation
• Dress in clothing designed to hide bruises or scars (e.g. wearing long sleeves in the summer or sunglasses indoors)

Warning signs of isolation

People who are being isolated by their abuser may:

• Be restricted from seeing family and friends
• Rarely go out in public without their partner
• Have limited access to money, credit cards, or the car

The psychological warning signs of abuse

People who are being abused may:

• Have very low self-esteem, even if they used to be confident
• Show major personality changes (e.g. an outgoing person becomes withdrawn)
• Be depressed, anxious, or suicidal

If you’ve recognised any of these warning signs in an employee it is important to speak up! Approach the person in private and let them him or her know that you are concerned. Be specific and point out the things that you’ve noticed. During this discussion encourage the employee to access support and counselling through the EAP provider or alternatively put them into contact with a counsellor or NGO who could assist.

Suggestions by the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence highlight some key aspects to consider when approaching a colleague or employee around possible domestic violence:

Do:

• Ask if something is wrong
• Express concern
• Listen and validate
• Offer help
• Support his or her decisions

Don’t:

• Wait for him or her to come to you
• Judge or blame
• Pressure him or her
• Give advice
• Place conditions on your support

Celéste Olivier is the EAP manager at Kaelo Consulting. She has a BA in social work from the Rand Afrikaans University (now the University of Johannesburg) and an MA in occupational social work from the University of the Witwatersrand.