That’s how many workdays are lost every year because of domestic violence, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Whether it’s absences because of injuries, an inability to go to work because the abuser is refusing to allow the victim to leave the home, or even difficulty in concentrating on the job because of overwhelming fear, those workdays translate to a $1.8 billion loss in productivity for American employers.
And no, it isn’t happening somewhere else, to somebody you don’t know. The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence reports that 21 percent of full-time employed adults have been victims of domestic violence. Take a moment to look around your workplace. That equals every fifth person you see. According to statistics, people you work with every day have been the victims of abuse.
Nor is it limited to what goes on at home. Of those victims, three-quarters report that they’ve been harassed at work. In fact, many of the high-profile shooting incidents that captured national attention in recent years involved an abuser who attacked his victim at work or in another public place.
Frankly, it’s terrifying. But what frightens us even more is that, despite the obvious risk, nearly two-thirds of employers have not developed a plan for dealing with domestic violence and protecting employees who may be in danger from an abuser. Think about that for a moment. Roughly one in five workers has been a victim, but most of their employers aren’t equipped to provide protection.
The biggest reason is simple ignorance. Most of those employers probably have no idea just how widespread domestic violence really is. Most of them don’t realize some of their employees live in danger every day. Few have probably considered what would happen if an angry and armed abuser stormed into their workplace five minutes from now.
That’s where prevention comes in, and while you may think of Sheltering Wings as a safe haven for victims of domestic abuse, we’re also a community resource that does things like educate employers about domestic violence and the steps they can take to protect workers.
You probably spend more of your waking hours at work than at home. Your employer has an obligation and an opportunity to create a safe place for you and your co-workers. Please encourage them to work with us. And if you’re not comfortable asking them directly, why not slip a copy of this message into your supervisor’s or the CEO’s mailbox?
