Employers urgently need to develop specific workplace interventions for both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, according to Canadian researchers, who describe the issue as a "significant form of workplace violence".
The Western University researchers said employers should educate workers on domestic violence (DV), and develop and test "specific protocols and tools to protect and support victims and intervene with perpetrators".
From a survey of 8429 Canadians using a questionnaire from an Australian study, the researchers found 33.6 per cent (2831) had experienced domestic violence.
Some 6.5 per cent (547) were currently experiencing it, 3.3 per cent (277) experienced it in the last 12 months (but not currently), and 31.5 per cent (2654) experienced it more than 12 months ago, the study found.
More than half of domestic violence victims (1515) said the violence continued near or at their workplace, through abusive phone calls or text messages and stalking, for example.
"These rates are comparable with ones found by similar large-scale surveys conducted in Australia and New Zealand," the researchers said.
"Other work-related DV included threats (eg. abuser threatened to come to the workplace) and other emotional abuse (eg. telling victim that co-workers do not respect her or him)," they added.
Most victims (81.9%) said domestic violence negatively affected their work performance, mainly through being distracted or feeling tired or unwell, while 8.5 per cent (242) reported losing a job as a result of the issue, the study found.
It found 39.5 per cent (1119) of victims took time off work for reasons such as dealing with health issues related to the violence and attending counselling.
Further, 37.1 per cent (1051) reported that experiencing domestic violence affected their co-workers through, for example, the co-workers being stressed about the situation.
Positive change can occur at the workplace
The researchers said their study contributed to "the growing literature establishing DV as not just a 'domestic' issue, but one that extends far beyond the home – into victims' work lives and even the lives of their co-workers".
"DV has a significant impact on workers and workplaces and is therefore a significant form of 'workplace violence'," they said.
But employers "have been slow to respond with policies that would protect workers", and "there is an urgent need to develop and evaluate specific interventions for victims and perpetrators".
"By identifying the scope and impact of DV on workers and workplaces, this research calls attention to an important and widespread form of workplace violence; however, it is only a first step," the researchers said.
"Immediate next steps include encouraging use of these results by governments, unions, and employers to establish and evaluate proactive practices to address the impact of DV at work, especially in terms of educating managers, supervisors, and workers about DV in the workplace.
"Improving the workplace response to DV will require a multipronged approach by legislators, employers, unions, and advocates to protect and support victims and assist perpetrators in changing their behaviour.
"Ultimately, preventing DV and its consequences is a collective social challenge; one place that positive change can happen – for victims, offenders, and employers – is the workplace."
The Impact of Domestic Violence in the Workplace: Results From a Pan-Canadian Survey. C. Nadine Wathen, et al, Canada, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Volume 57, Issue 7, July 2015.
