How Does Domestic Violence Affect You in Your Workplace?

One of the most common affects of domestic violence is found inside the workplace. According to a short article published in Domestic Violence and Your Workplace, the following are the impacts found inside the workplace brought on by domestic violence:

• Employees tend to reduce their productivity
• Employees tend to be absent rather than to be present and be in a toxic environment
• It decreases the morale of the employee
• Company will be spending more for the health of their employees especially the mental health status
• Relationships among the employees are not working anymore. Most of the time, they misunderstand each other.

An article published in Huffpost confirmed the effects of domestic violence stated above based on the results of the study conducted. The study was participated in by more than 6,600 European workers and focused on companies that are known as "One in Three Women" like L'Oréal, BNP Paribas, Carrefour, state-owned railway company SNCF of France and the Kering Foundation. The term one in three women was used by the World Health Organization in 2003 as a point of reference on how women were assaulted, raped, and harassed.

According to the United Nations' International Labour Organization 2019 report that two out of ten full-time employees have experienced domestic violence in terms of romantic relationship. And one third of the affected groups have suffered at the hands of their partners while in the same workplace. This means that having a romantic relationship inside the workplace can also affect the employees' performance if domestic violence arises.

In the same study conducted by the European Added Value Assessment that around 22 percent of women have experienced physical and sexual abuse while 43 percent have experienced psychological abuse. The European Added Value Assessment added that this domestic violence cost 228 billion euros in 2011.

But what are the primary ways on which domestic violence reach the professional world? Domestic violence does not only mean physical but it also includes psychological abuse. This form of abuse can be done near the workplace or even using the social media because threats can also be done also through the cyber-world. Hence, domestic violence happens anywhere and anytime of the day.

In the said study, 55 percent of the respondents narrated the following effects of domestic violence:

• tardiness
• absenteeism
• presenteeism which includes extending hours of work without pay

Meanwhile, half of the respondents who experienced this type of violence said that they are less productive and at times are distracted. And the following also are the main reasons cited in the study:

• Psychological control
• Threats or injuries
• Confiscation of items that are essential in job
• Physical Restraint
• Physical abuse

In efforts to address these domestic violences, it is suggested that persons affected by domestic violence must talk to their human resource officer same as what the one-third of the victims did.

Can anyone be a target of this violence? Yes, according to the same study 1 out of 10 know that their colleague is affected and 1 out of 5 is affected by their colleagues' experiences. They are concerned with their colleagues who experienced it, and at the same time tense every time their workmates received violent phone calls from their spouse, other workmates, or employer.