The gap between personal and professional life is shrinking, and employees desperately want to know that there’s support for the challenges that they face at home, no matter how hard they are to discuss.
96% percent of domestic violence victims said they have difficulty with work because of their abuse. Most workplaces don’t have a formal program or policy in place to address domestic violence, leaving HR departments struggling to help a large demographic of workers.
The lack of support is likely because there are still harmful stereotypes around discussing personal struggles at work.
Missed work related to domestic violence can add up to nearly eight million lost days of paid work each year. The effects can be difficult for HR leaders to spot, but may include an increase in absences at work, a decrease in the employees quality of work.
Many HR leaders are still reluctant to get involved. But this inaction could heavily affect an employee’s career progression.
But HR departments are far from experts in domestic abuse and could end up making a situation worse if they’re not careful.
Its important to partner with organizations that are experts on this topic. This means sharing resources and information on domestic abuse hotlines, shelters and clinics.
There are lots of internal changes HR executives can make that will make a difference. They can put programs in place that provide training and seminars that educate about domestic violence.
This will give your employees the sense of safety at work. They can feel confident that their work place is a safe space that they can come to if they find themselves in this situation, and that they will be helped without feeling discriminated.
Leaving an abusive relationship takes time. Many cases involve court dates, finding new housing as well as physical and mental health appointments and employees need support at every step of the way.
Everyone wants to work for an employer that cares because these days work life is so blurred. Having policies around this and talking about it means that you are that type of employer.
We at Cosmo insurance agency are always looking out for the best for our employees and our clients.
Its core to the DNA of our company and what we stand for.
