Charles Boyer, research associate with
the Conference Board’s Workplace Health
and Wellness Research Group and coauthor
of the report, says the employer does
have a role to play to protect its employees
from the impact of domestic violence.
“In some provinces, when an employer
finds out that an employee is experiencing
domestic violence that will likely put them
in harm’s way, the employer has a duty to
put in place reasonable precautions to protect
the employee,” he said.
The report found that employers have
an opportunity to enhance the health and
wellbeing of employees experiencing domestic
violence, but that few offer training
and education to managers and employees
on understanding and addressing these
issues.
To date, only Ontario and British
Columbia have passed legislation relating
to domestic violence in the workplace.
“Ontario is the first province to explicitly
mention domestic violence in its
workplace legislation, but many provinces
have provisions that give employers
responsibility for preventing and responding
to violence in the workplace,” said
MacQuarrie.
In 2007, the Canadian Centre for
Occupational Health and Safety included
domestic violence in its third edition of
the Violence in the Workplace Prevention
Guide, proving that awareness is seeping
through, though not as assertively as
MacQuarrie would like.
“There are some really progressive employers,
but, for the most part, this is still
not ‘big time’ on the agenda of employers
and HR,” she said. “We’ve got a long way
to go to really understanding this.”
HOW CAN HR ADDRESS
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE
WORKPLACE?
The impact of domestic violence can become
a real workplace concern, according
to Boyer. It affects victims’ wellbeing and
productivity every day. And employers
recognize that.
“We asked employers if they think domestic
violence impacts performance and
productivity and, across the board, 96 per
cent agreed that of course it does,” said
Boyer. “Most of them agreed that paid
leave, safety policies and other supports
could help victims regain their health and
wellbeing.”
In most workplaces, the HR department
is the ideal place to form policies that
help support victims of domestic violence
and restore productivity in the workplace.
The first step is for HR professionals
to seek training on domestic violence for
themselves. Organizations such as your
company’s EAP, women’s shelters and
legal aid will help you find out what community
supports are available to those in
need – and how best to access them.
MacQuarrie says training can also be
found in educational institutions like hers
at the University of Western Ontario.
“Here at the Research Centre
Workplace Education Program, we have
options of training that can be customized,”
she said. “This type of training is
readily available all over the country.”
When it comes to creating policy,
MacQuarrie suggests including:
■■ A definition of the problem (domestic
policies & procedures
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