If a worker or anyone at your workplace is in immediate danger, call 000.
Family or domestic violence refers to acts of violence that occur between people who have, or have had, an intimate relationship, or between family members.
More information about family and domestic violence.
How does family or domestic violence affect workplaces?
Family and domestic violence can become a WHS issue if the perpetrator makes threats, intimidates or carries out violence on a partner or family member at the workplace, including if working from home.
Most people who experience family and domestic violence in Australia are in paid employment. Family and domestic violence can affect workplaces in several ways:
- It’s a workplace health and safety issue
If a perpetrator harasses or stalks a person at their workplace, it can put the employee and their coworkers in danger. - Workplaces can be a place of safety for employees
Employees experiencing family or domestic violence often rely on their workplaces to be a safe place to escape violence and a crucial source of social and economic support. - It’s a workplace productivity issue
Employees experiencing family or domestic violence might be more likely to take unplanned days off, arrive late or finish early. When they’re at work, they might also be less effective carrying out their work because they’re distracted, anxious or lack energy. Workplaces could also experience higher staff turnover rates.
Impact on employers
The impact of family and domestic violence costs Australian businesses around $2 billion annually in direct and indirect workplace costs due to:
- increased risks of workplace violence
- increased illness or absenteeism
- possible legal liabilities
- increased employee turnover
- reduced productivity.
(From KPMG, The cost of violence in against women and their children in Australia – Final report, report prepared for the Department of Social Services (DSS), Australian Government, 2016.)
The cost of losing, and then replacing, employees affected by domestic violence can outweigh the costs of providing the support that will help retain affected employees.
Best practice employers understand that family and domestic violence is a workplace and community concern and that they can make a difference in supporting employees who are experiencing family and domestic violence.
What does an employer need to do?
Employers have a duty under WHS laws to eliminate risks to health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable. If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risks, they must be minimised so far as is reasonably practicable. This means proactively managing the risk of family and domestic violence happening at the workplace.
You must also:
- provide and maintain a work environment that is without risk to the health and safety of workers
- provide adequate and accessible facilities for the welfare of workers to carry out their work, and
- give workers the necessary information, instruction, training or supervision to do their job safely and without risks to health.
For clarity:
- A worker is anyone who carries out work in any capacity for your business, including employees, contractors, subcontractors, outworkers, apprentices, trainees, work experience students and volunteers who carry out work.
- A workplace means a place where work is carried out for your business, including if working from home.
You need to consider when, where and how your workers might be exposed to violence and manage those risks by implementing control measures.
Some risks might be outside your control, such as where a worker chooses not to disclose a risk of family or domestic violence or that they cannot work safely at home.
You must consult workers on physical and psychological hazards and risks in the workplace, and on how to manage them, before you make decisions about control measures. Encourage workers to talk to you about any concerns they may have about their health and safety, as they may have important information that should be considered and may have ideas about how to manage risks to their health and safety.
Providing a safe environment for workers to disclose family or domestic violence, assuring confidentiality and not requiring workers to provide unnecessary personal details will help you to identify risks. You or other workers may also notice signs of family and domestic violence, such as frequent unexplained bruising or injuries, excessive absence or lateness, inability to take work-related trips or receiving excessive personal calls or visits. Risks may change over time and you should continue to engage with workers on health and safety issues, particularly when workers are not physically co-located, and risks are less evident, such when working from home.
Family and domestic violence in the workplace is a complex issue.
What do workers need to do?
Workers also have duties under WHS laws. Workers must take reasonable care of their own health and safety in the workplace, and the health and safety of others who may be affected by what they do or do not do. Workers must also comply with any reasonable instructions, policies and procedures given by their employer at the workplace.
If your workers witness or see signs of family and domestic violence while undertaking work, you should contact 1800 RESPECT for advice.
Signs of family and domestic violence
Recognising the signs that an employee is experiencing family and domestic violence gives managers and co-workers the opportunity to provide the employee with support and help them explore their options. It’s critical that workplaces know the signs that someone may be experiencing family and domestic violence, so they can help employees access the support they need.
Behaviours that may signal a person is experiencing family and domestic violence include:
- excessive or unexplained absences or lateness
- a sudden or sustained drop in productivity
- unexplained injuries
- social withdrawal
- frequent or unusual work breaks, or unusual start and finish times
- anxiety or fearfulness
- appearing distracted, depressed or overly jumpy
- lack of concentration or difficulty making decisions
- inability to take work-related trips
- personal calls, texts or visits that cause the employee distress.
If managers suspect that an employee may be experiencing family and domestic violence, it’s appropriate for them to raise their concerns with the employee. While managers aren’t counsellors or confidantes, it’s important that they feel equipped to raise their concerns and support their employees.
If co-workers suspect that one of their co-workers may be experiencing family and domestic violence, they may raise their concerns with their co-worker or their manager. As with managers, it’s important that co-workers feel equipped to raise their concerns and support their fellow co-workers. Further information
