Building Solutions to Prevent Domestic Violence

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Building Solutions to Prevent Domestic Violence
Dennis Butler, SPHR VP, Workplace Solutions Liz
Claiborne Inc.
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What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is abusive or coercive behavior
between two people in an intimate relationship.
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Domestic Violence In the Workplace
Intimate partners behavior that interferes with
employees ability to safely/securely perform
duties at work.
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Liz Claibornes Involvement With DV

• Focus on DV began in 1991
• Awareness oriented
• Love Is Not Abuse
• Launch of DV in the workplace program
  (2002)

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Liz Claibornes Workplace Program

• DV policy in place since early 1990s.
• Significantly upgraded the program in 2002
• Revised our DV in the workplace policy.
• Established protocol for HR, Legal and Corporate
  Security for how to handle cases
• Established a Domestic Violence Response Team
  (DVRT).
• Trained HR, Security, Managers and Employees.

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What Is An Employers Role?

• Recognize the signs.
• Respond appropriately within the context of the
  workplace.
• Refer to the professionals who can assist the
  employee.

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What Is An EAPs Role?

• Expertise Be sure EAP Counselors have
  specific expertise in recognizing and responding
  to DV as a workplace issue and as a co-issue for
  other cases.
• Advice Provide advice to employers about the
  appropriate response to DV within the context of
  the workplace, including performance management.
• Provide resources and training to
  employers for their DV in the workplace programs.

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Respond - Critical Events and Opportunities

• Critical Events
• Visible warning signs and risk factors
• Should raise possibility of danger
• Opportunities
• A chance to intervene
• Can be missed because of uncertainty or missing
  information

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Critical Events/Missed Opportunities DuPont
Inquest
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Recognizing Domestic Violence Victims

• Unusual absence or lateness for work.
• Sudden or sustained drop in productivity.
• Unusual signs of anxiety or fear.
• Frequent, upsetting phone calls, flowers, gifts
  at the workplace.
• Isolation, unusual quietness, keeping away from
  others.

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Recognizing Domestic Violence Victims

• Unexplained injuries or injuries that do not fit
  the explanations of how they occurred.
• Inappropriately dressed/excessive makeup.
• Minimization and denial of harassment or
  injuries.
• Sensitivity about home life or hints of trouble
  at home.

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Recognizing Domestic Violence Abusers

• Most abusers report being distracted and
  preoccupied at work.
• Some abusers make costly and dangerous mistakes
  on the job as a result.
• May seem perfectly normal to others.
• Most abusers use company phones, e-mail and
  vehicles to perpetrate domestic violence.

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Respond Creating a Workplace Program

• Step One Organize a multi-disciplinary team to
  oversee the process.
• Human Resources
• Legal
• Security
• Subject matter experts
• Your EAP
• Local DV agency

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Respond Creating a Workplace Program

• Step Two Develop a corporate policy on domestic
  violence.

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Respond Creating a Workplace Program

• Step Three Provide training.
• Response protocol
• Multi-disciplinary Team (DVRT)
• Managers
• Employees

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Respond Creating a Workplace Program

• Step Four Build awareness through workplace
  communications.
• Recognize, respond, refer
• Posters
• Brochures
• Employee health fairs
• Department meetings

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Respond Creating a Workplace Program

• Step Five Enlist employees help in ensuring the
  workplace is a violence-free zone.
• Step Six Broaden communications to include
  members of the community including stakeholders
  in your industry and other organizations.

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Key Points to Remember

• Integrate the program.
• Partnering with your EAP
• Integrating with performance management
• Focus on safety for victim and workplace.
• Company representatives dont act as counselors
  we are conduits to experts.

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More Key Points

• Knowing the right referrals is most effective.
• Policies and protocols are only guidelines.
• Environment must be open and comfortable.

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Web Sites For More Information
Love is Not Abuse
loveisnotabuse.com Corporate Alliance to End
Partner Violence www.caepv.org Safe At Work
Coalition www.safeatworkcoalition.org
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BUILDING SOLUTIONS TO PREVENT DOMESTIC
VIOLENCEQUESTION AND ANSWER
Dennis Butler, SPHR VP, Workplace Solutions Liz
Claiborne Inc.
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