An Employer’s Responsibility when Domestic Violence Invades the Workplace

In the wake of domestic violence charges against NFL players and the public’s outrage at the NFL’s response as a business owner you may be thinking how you might respond when faced with an employee charged with domestic violence or an employee who is a victim of domestic violence.  Or maybe you believe domestic violence does not affect your workforce.

According to an article published by the ABA, one out of every four women will be a victim of domestic violence.  Additionally, almost 50% of employed victims of domestic violence report that they lost their jobs due to, at least in part, the domestic violence, and almost 50% of sexual assault survivors lose their jobs or are forced to quit their jobs.  Two-thirds of employed victims reported that their abusers harass them at work and almost 50% either missed work or were prevented from working due to the abuser.  Certainly domestic violence affects the workplace.

Employers should respond to the real potential of domestic violence in their workplace with leave policies, safety plans, and discipline policies that address such matters.  Leave policies should be adapted to provide employees with the knowledge and understanding that leave will be permitted to address the effect of violence in an employees’ life.  Likewise, since abusers have the tendency to harass the victim at work, employers should develop a safety plan that provides safety and protection to the employee during working hours, including restricted access, security, and police notification in extreme situations.  On the flip-side, employers should be prepared to respond with appropriate discipline, including termination, when an employee is the perpetrator of domestic violence, particularly when crimes are committed using the employer’s resources or during working hours.

More than policies, however, an employer should train its human resources staff or managers to identify potential domestic violence victims and handle such issues that might arise.  Employers should also inform employees that it takes domestic violence seriously by educating the employees on the policies and procedures that are available should domestic violence occur.