Workplace Public Policy and Domestic Violence

Domestic violence doesn’t stay home when its victims go to work. It can follow them, resulting in violence in the workplace. Or it can spill over into the workplace when a woman is harassed by threatening phone calls, absent because of injuries, or less productive due to extreme stress. Domestic violence in the workplace includes all types of behavior that affect a person’s ability to perform a job. Studies indicate that nearly three-fourths of employed battered women are harassed at work and more than a quarter of the 1 million women who are stalked each year miss work because of the harassment. Each year, domestic violence results in an estimated 8 million missed work days and causes up to 50 percent of victims to lose their jobs. Victims of domestic violence often cite financial concerns as the main reason for remaining in abusive relationships, making economic independence a critical part of violence prevention.