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Unions Respond to Domestic Violence

Domestic violence fits into the agenda of unions as a health and safety issue, a workplace issue, a discrimination issue, a family issue — and as a human rights issue. Like other struggles for health, safety and human dignity, domestic violence affects the lives of untold numbers of working people in the United States. Domestic violence is emotionally disruptive, dangerous and, at worst, it can claim the lives of workers.

Union interest in this issue grows out of a strong tradition of fighting for social and economic justice. In addition to a higher standard of living, unions have fought for respect, civil and human rights, personal self-determination, and freedom from violence. Therefore, it is of little wonder that the labor community is committed to ending domestic violence.

What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of assaults and controlling behaviors that adults and adolescents use against their intimate partners. These assaults and behaviors can include physical, sexual and psychological attacks and economic control. Domestic violence is common, doesn’t discriminate and can be lethal. It affects people of all cultures, religions, ages, sexual orientations, educational backgrounds and income levels.

The overwhelming majority of adult domestic violence victims are women. Men, most commonly, are the perpetrators, although men can be victims, too. This explains why this publication refers to the victims as females. Perpetrators of domestic violence come from all walks of life and include all personality types. The National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS), funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Justice, estimates that 5.3 million acts of domestic violence occur each year against U.S. women age 18 and older.

These violent acts result in 2 million injuries, more than a quarter of which require medical attention. Victims of domestic violence also suffer other long-term health problems, including fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, chronic pain and post traumatic stress disorder.

Domestic violence is usually not an isolated, individual episode. One battering builds on past attacks and sets the stage for future assaults. There is a wide range of consequences, some physically injurious and some not; all psychologically damaging. Without intervention, the pattern of assaultive behaviors often escalates in both frequency and severity.

Recognizing domestic violence

Perpetrators’ tactics may include:

Physical abuse

Shaking, shoving, throwing, slapping, punching, choking, kicking, using weapons or objects against a victim.

Sexual abuse

Forcing a partner to engage in sex against her/his wishes.

Intimidation

Violence or threats of violence against children, family, friends, pets or property.

Psychological abuse

Humiliating the victim, repeated verbal attacks against the victim’s competence as a worker, family member or parent.

Progressive social isolation

Controlling a victim’s access to employment, activities, family, friends, resources and information.

Economic coercion

Controlling victims’ access to such resources as money, health care, transportation or insurance.

Use of children

Exhibiting violence or threats of violence against children, placing children into dangerous situations, forcing children to participate in abuse of adult victim, fighting over custody or visitation, repeated undermining of the adult victim’s parenting or making false reports to Child Protective Services.

Domestic violence: A workplace issue

Domestic violence often leads to workplace violence. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workplace violence is the leading safety and health concern in today’s workplace. Along with safety concerns, the financial impact on the workplace is yet another reason for employers to take domestic violence seriously. The negative impact of domestic violence becomes apparent at the jobsite in lowered productivity, lost work time, increased health insurance costs and more.

It is crucial that domestic violence and other forms of workplace violence be seen as serious, recognizable and preventable problems just like thousands of other health and safety issues on the job.

Victims of domestic violence may be especially vulnerable at the workplace

When a victim attempts to leave an abusive partner, the workplace can become the only place the assailant can locate and harm her. In fact, 70 percent of domestic violence victims are harassed in the workplace. The U.S. Department of Justice has found that approximately 20,000 U.S. workers are threatened or attacked in the workplace every year by partners or spouses. In addition, homicide by intimate partners is the leading cause of workplace deaths among female employees, according to the Workplace Violence Institute. Not knowing the signs of domestic violence magnifies the risk of danger to the victim as well as to her co-workers.

The high cost of domestic violence

In addition to the physical and emotional costs suffered by the victims, domestic violence impacts employers by causing lost work time, lowered productivity and increased health care costs.

The NVAWS found that victims lose a total of 8 million days of paid work, which equals more than 32,000 full-time jobs as a result of the violence. Ten work days were lost every time a woman was stalked by an intimate partner and 7.2 work days were lost, on average, by victims of physical assault. This lost work time adds up to financial loss for the victim and for the place of employment. The estimated total value of days lost from employment and household chores is a staggering $858.6 million a year. Even when victims are present at work, their productivity is likely to suffer.

Previously stated health problems, such as fatigue and mental health issues, can reduce a worker’s ability to function properly at work. The Workplace Violence Institute estimates that 96 percent of battered women experience problems at work due to the abuse. Fifty-six percent of female domestic violence victims are late to work more often than those who are not abused and 28 percent of victims tend to leave work early. Furthermore, an estimated 50 percent of all homelessness among women and children can be attributed to domestic violence. Many employees place their jobs at risk when domestic violence forces them to take time off from work to relocate. If extended leaves for this purpose cause a woman to lose her job, the victim’s situation becomes even more dire.

  • 96% of battered women experience problems at work due to abuse

  • 56% of female domestic violence victims are late to work more often than women who are not abused

  • 28% of victims tend to leave work early

  • 50% of all homelessness among women and children can be attributed to domestic violence

A report by Employers Against Domestic Violence revealed how batterers affect the workplace, and found many areas of workplace abuses and lost productivity. Batterers, on average, missed approximately seven business days for court activities related to their perpetration of violence. Many batterers also experience emotional distress or distraction due to their behavior, which can lead to lost productivity — and if a batterer is in extreme distress, he could turn violent toward his co-workers or himself. In addition, batterers spend significant work time and resources to monitor their victims. Work telephones, e-mail systems and even co-workers are employed by batterers to "check-up" on their victims.

Another significant cost of domestic violence is the cost of the victim’s health care. The mean medical care cost per incident is $2,665, approximately half of which is paid for by insurance plans. Many victims of domestic violence also seek mental health care to help them cope with their experiences. The total number of mental health care visits annually by female victims of domestic violence is estimated to be more than 18.5 million. This medical care results in large health care bills for victims, their families and their insurance plans. In fact, the total estimated health care costs related to domestic violence, including medical and mental health care services is $4.1 billion.

Why is domestic violence a union issue?

Unions work to protect the health, safety and well-being of the workers they represent. With more than 5 million women victimized by domestic violence every year, abuse affects many union members — victims, batterers, family members, friends and co-workers.

Health, safety and job security are union issues. Victims of domestic violence are at higher risk of on-the-job violence. They are also likely to miss work or come in late, so they may be disciplined by management for job performance problems and can be denied opportunities for promotion and advancement. Many union members work in professions that deal directly with domestic violence and its consequences, including emergency dispatchers, social workers, police officers, health care workers and security personnel. Unions can assist workers in these professions by offering in-service trainings and by encouraging public awareness about domestic violence.

The workplace is where members facing domestic violence spend at least eight hours a day and it can be a haven for help and support. Unions can be instrumental in ensuring that victims of domestic violence understand and access services, information and protections available to them.

Unions are uniquely positioned to be a key force in helping our members stay safe, both on the job and at home. Unions can help reduce the risk of violence for workers while maintaining jobs — a key to economic self-sufficiency. By addressing domestic violence, unions can make a significant — and, in some cases, a life-saving — difference in the lives of their members.

 

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