Domestic abuse is a complex public health issue requiring a coordinated community response. A microcosm of the larger community, the work environment can also be a place where survivors who might otherwise be isolated can experience a sense of well-being and belonging. According to a report from the Battered Women’s Justice Project, employers, employees and survivors all benefit from a coordinated, thoughtful, collaborative team response to domestic abuse.

In his 2023 research, Roy Mauer and others from the Society for Human Resource Management offer several compelling statistics. All point to the undeniable prevalence of domestic abuse in the workplace and to the general lack of efficient ways to manage it. For example, Mauer found that 66% of corporate executives believe that domestic abuse is a major problem in the workplace. Yet only 65% of businesses have a formal workplace prevention policy in place, and a meager 20% have any kind of formal training to increase workplace awareness. A staggering 74% of full-time employees said that they were harassed at work; 21% stated that they had been victims of domestic abuse. Sixteen percent of organizations experienced a domestic abuse-related issue in the past five years; 19% were in the last year alone.

The negative impact of domestic abuse eats away at the bottom line, eroding worker ingenuity and, hence, company profits. According to the Center for Domestic Peace, the United States loses 8 million days of productivity annually to domestic abuse-related concerns, with costs associated with domestic abuse exceeding an astounding $8.3 billion annually. Those experiencing domestic abuse are prey to a multitude of negative effects. Employees often show up to work tired, don’t feel well, and are frequently distracted by harassing phone calls as well as thoughts of what is occurring at home. Many cannot even get to work due to being physically restrained, threats to their children and pets should they leave the house, and being denied access to transportation by their abuser. In their Pan-Canadian Study, Wathen, MacGregor and MacQualrie found that up to 27% of employees ultimately lost their jobs as a direct result of domestic abuse.

Workplace cultures where colleagues foster a responsive and supportive environment simultaneously counter the negative effects at home while holding everyone accountable for addressing domestic abuse. Coworkers and workplaces can be an integral part of a survivor’s safety plan. Policies and procedures that directly address domestic abuse in the workplace should:

--Support survivors in developing and implementing dynamic workplace safety plans;

--Be developed by a team of key individuals like survivors, medical professionals, Employee Assistance Services, agency legal representatives, office security, and members of media relations and community outreach;

--Be disseminated widely through emails, brochures and employee discussions;

--Make continued employment conditional on abusers remaining non-violent;

--Intervene against stalking in the workplace;

--Provide for flexible schedules, leaves of absence, and enlightened, domestic abuse-informed personnel policies to safeguard survivor employment and career, per Maine law;

--Activate security options like screening victim calls, finding a safe place to relocate the victim if necessary, reassigning parking, securing computer devices, redirecting electronic payroll changes, and providing a list of available resources through a variety of means (i.e. postings, brochures, discussions at meetings);

--Invite employees to be team players who are not expected to be experts or shoulder all of the responsibility;

--Advocate for storing protection orders in Human Resources with sharing only as required by law.

Survivors’ ability to work is threatening to people who are abusive because it gives survivors access to money, power and independence, all of which threaten abuser control. Targeting or sabotaging a person’s job is an all-too-common form of economic abuse. A 2019 Maine study conducted by the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence found that abusers often deliberately interfered with their partners’ ability to work. Survivors reported that this occurred all of the time (35%), frequently (27%), or occasionally (23%).

When domestic abuse comes to the workplace, economic independence, health and dignity are on the line. Researchers at the Northwestern District Attorney’s office suggest that addressing workplace domestic abuse in a business-like way sends a powerful message. When spoken about in this manner, domestic abuse joins other health issues that affect absenteeism and job turnover rather than being viewed as something shameful.

New Hope Midcoast advocates are well prepared to assist businesses with developing policies and procedures. They can also help create dynamic safety plans and collaborate with businesses to ensure safety and respect while decreasing feelings of victim isolation. These pieces alone empower victims to more readily seek—and benefit from—assistance. Advocates trained by New Hope Midcoast have years of knowledge and experience to weave into workplace practices. They can help businesses develop a welcoming, proactive approach that fosters victim safety while equipping employers and coworkers with tools to have conversations with survivors that are both empathetic and empowering. Tailored trainings take into account each victim’s unique circumstances and the fact that every workplace has a unique culture.

We invite key management and Human Resources personnel to be in touch with us to discuss customized survivor-centered interventions. Everyone can work together to form a tight web around the individual so that the workplace can become a space where the victim feels safe. With proactive, concerned interventions, the workplace might even become a much-needed place of respite for victims who may otherwise be fearful, exhausted, isolated and lacking in confidence. Employers, employees and victims alike can move from feeling vulnerable and powerless to being valuable and ready.

New Hope Midcoast is one of Maine’s Regional Domestic Violence Resource Centers and a member of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence. The nonprofit organization supports people impacted by domestic abuse, dating violence and stalking through housing and legal advocacy, education and prevention programs, and a 24/7 helpline. The organization serves Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties. New Hope continues to meet clients where they are and recognizes that the impact of domestic abuse is widespread. We are survivor-led here for anyone in need and believe that, together, we can address social concerns that continue right here in our communities.

We invite readers to contribute to our matching challenge campaign where area workplaces have pledged to double every donation made in April. Businesses like Allen Insurance and Financial, Eastern Tire, and Cold Mountain Builders know that it takes a community to address the pervasive effects of domestic violence and that employers and employees alike benefit when we work together.

April donations can be made online at www.newhopemidcoast.org; by check to New Hope Midcoast, PO Box A, Rockland, ME 04841; or by contacting Development Director Joan LeMole at developmentdirector@newhopemidcoast.org or (207) 691.5969. Given federal funding uncertainties, your donations are more important than ever.