Domestic violence challenges employers

Domestic violence challenges employers

In March, 43-year-old realtor Cindy Bischoff was gunned down as she left her Elmhurst office. Her former lover then turned the gun on himself.

That tragic incident underscores the constant possibility of domestic violence (DV) in or near the workplace. Its only antidotes are employees who disclose their circumstances and employers who respond with support.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 1 million women and 371,000 men are victims of stalking each year. A total of 74.2 percent of victims report that being stalked has interfered with their employment. Twenty-six percent lost time from work as a result of the crime, and 7 percent of stalking victims never returned to work.

The National Safe Workplace Institute reports that 94 percent of corporate security directors rank DV as a high-risk problem at their companies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the annual cost of lost productivity because of DV equals $727.8 million, or more than 7.9 million paid workdays.

“People don’t check their problems at the front door,” said Sue Meisinger, a 20-year veteran of the Society for Human Resource Management. “Victims of stalking and other forms of domestic abuse need the cooperation of their employer.”

According to a 2007 study co-sponsored by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence (CAEPV) in Bloomington, Ill., and Safe Horizon and Liz Claiborne Inc. in New York City, nine out of 10 employees say businesses should take a more active role in discovering and protecting them from DV and its results.

Sarah Katula, a clinical nurse specialist at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove and coordinator of its DV coalition task force, says that far too few are.

“The workplace needs to pay attention to DV because it is the right thing to do and it costs employers in medical bills, absenteeism and lost productivity,” she said.

“However, the higher their income, the more women deny abusive treatment,” Katula said. “Especially if it’s not physical, they tolerate the relationship and go to work pretending that everything is fine. Their wounds and scars are emotional.”

Kathy Ann, a customer service worker in a local call center, was married for six years before her husband’s behavior turned dangerously violent.

“He’d say, ‘I’ll kill you if you leave,’ and when I got ready for work, he started throwing and breaking things right in front of me,’” said Kathy Ann, who spent four months with her two young children in a DV shelter in 1988 after fleeing her abusive marriage.

“My current employer has a policy to go to human resources if you are afraid of a home situation,” she said. “That would’ve been nice if it were offered then. But I was afraid, ashamed, and embarrassed to tell friends and co-workers. No one ever asked me what was wrong. It was as if they didn’t want to know.”

The CAEPV study found that the most important action victims could take in bettering their employers’ response to DV is to speak up. A full 78 percent of the executives surveyed said that they would take action to implement policies on DV if employees needed them. However, the vast majority of executive respondents believed that fewer than 5 percent of their staff were victims or survivors.

In actuality, 18 percent of employees surveyed in the study identified themselves as a victim or survivor of DV—8 percent of men and 26 percent of women. Twenty-four percent of women respondents knew a co-worker who had been a victim.

While it may be a sensitive topic to discuss, domestic abuse is not the victim’s fault, and if he or she is employed, it is more than a personal problem.

Jane Randel, vice president of corporate communications at Liz Claiborne, Inc., which has outlet stores in Aurora, Gurnee and Huntley, suggests that employers accept that what happens at home will influence an employee’s performance at work.

“Our goal is to create an environment where employees feel comfortable coming forward if they are experiencing DV,” said Randel. “If people feel safe disclosing at the workplace, it will help—not hurt—the business environment.”

Verizon Wireless, which has executive offices in Schaumburg, has had DV as its main philanthropic focus since the company’s inception in 2000. Carolyn Schamberger, its manager of public relations, reports that the commitment is strong.

“We view this issue as incredibly important, both externally and internally,” she said. “We make sure that employees know where they can go for help, and that our constant influx of new staff is trained to recognize DV.”

Echoing the corporate focus is Dennis Strigl, now president and vice chairman of Verizon Communications.

“Corporations spend millions of dollars placing and training employees,” he pointed out. “It only makes sense to protect that investment by getting employees the help they need to be safe from harm.”

Liz Claiborne’s Randel, who has long worked in promoting DV programs in corporations, said some employers think they have to be counselors, and that becomes a barrier for some.

“That’s not the case at all. We train store level regional and district managers to notice signs of DV. It’s not necessarily bruises,” she said, “but things like low productivity, absenteeism or disturbing phone calls.”

Good Samaritan’s Katula cautioned that it’s not necessary for managers and supervisors to become social workers.

“But they can learn how to ask questions in private about what is happening at home. They can help a victim in denial feel supported and assure her that she will not lose her job if she discloses her situation,” she said. “Then they can refer her to materials and people who will make a difference.”

Janette M. Quinn is an occasional free-lance contributor to The Business Ledger and is individual & major gifts officer for Family Shelter Service. Shannon Sudberry also works at the agency.

Posted on Tuesday, July 01, 2008 (Archive on Tuesday, July 08, 2008)
Posted by jstoltz Contributed by jstoltz

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