Family Crisis Services - Workplace Initiative

	Workplace Initiative
	Family Crisis Services and the Maine Department of Labor have conducted two research studies on domestic violence and the workplace. Impact of Domestic Violence Offenders on Occupational Safety and Health: A Pilot Study, click here. Domestic Violence Survivors at Work: How Perpetrators Impact Employment, click here. Domestic abuse is a serious workplace issue. Employers have a unique opportunity to respond. Family Crisis Services Workplace Initiative provides state-of the-art information for businesses regarding policy development, safety planning, and outreach to employees on this important topic. Why? Because when domestic abuse is in your community, it's in your workplace as well. Consider these national statistics gathered by the Family Violence Prevention Fund: 74% of domestic abuse victims report being harassed at work; 40% of senior corporate executives are personally aware of employees experiencing domestic abuse; 78% of human resource professionals view domestic violence as a workplace issue; and 94% of corporate security personnel rank domestic violence as a high security concern at their companies. Employers pay the costs through increased absenteeism, security risks, insurance premiums, and liability. In addition, an abused employee may have decreased productivity, difficulty concentrating, and a general sense of fear while at the workplace. What can employers do? First, employers must recognize the likelihood that both victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse are in their employ. Each year in Maine over 12,000 people use the services of the statewide network of domestic violence projects, and thousands of abusers are arrested for the crime of domestic violence. In Cumberland County, Family Crisis Services assists approximately 4000 people a year (largely women and children), and hundreds of cases are prosecuted. Many of these folks work alongside us in grocery stores, law offices, restaurants, insurance companies, and factories. How can employers reach out? A key first step is creating a workplace culture that encourages employees who are victims of domestic abuse to come forward for help. Family Crisis Services recommends that employers review workplace best practices and adapt a plan that fits their company size and employee population.
	Domestic Violence & The Workplace: Best Practices How To Help ~ Supporting A Co-Worker Who's Living With Abuse Workplace Resources The Workplace Responds to Domestic Abuse