The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) was PledgeForParity – a renewed call by women for equality in all areas of social, economic, cultural and political participation in the wake of a slow down towards gender parity efforts in many countries.
On the Sunshine Coast however, for two consecutive years’ commemorations surrounding International Women’s Day (March 8) have involved speakers focused on the centralised theme of domestic and family violence including the message – one punch kills.
Why, you may very well ask?
I know that domestic and family violence is gender neutral however on average over the last few years at least one woman dies every week as a result of family violence. Family violence is also one, if not the greatest obstacle to women achieving the very parity they seek in all aspects of life.
So it came a bit of a shock then as IWD commemorations kicked off around the country, that the federal government withdrew the domestic violence leave provision from all its workplace agreements. The reasoning outlined was that those affected can still utilise other miscellaneous leave provisions under the National Employment Standards (NES) such as personal carer’s leave, parental leave etc.
Community groups feel otherwise. “Domestic violence leave is important on both a practical level but also a symbolic level, so it sends out a very clear message within workplaces that impacts of domestic violence are recognised and taken very seriously by employers.” Whilst direct reference or acknowledgement of domestic and family violence is absent in the NES, its impact is being felt in the workplace through absenteeism, tardiness, turnover and low-productivity.
Family violence costs the national economy some $13.6bn dollars annually in a range of costs (pain suffering and premature mortality, health, production-related etc. ) that is not only directly related to the survivors themselves but also their children (second generation cost). Violence impacts one in eight women. Extrapolate this to your workplace where, statistically 12.5% of your female employees or co-workers have, will or is experiencing some form of violence. For this reason, it also becomes as much a workplace issue as it is a community one. Domestic violence is everyone’s business.
Under Division 2 s.19 (1) and (3)(a) of the Model Work Health and Safety Act 2012, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) “must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable: the provision and maintenance of a work environment without risks to health and safety.” A violent partner visiting the workplace is a risk and therefore must be taken into account and managed. Commensurately, the same can also be considered for couples who work for the same employer and where one is a violent partner in the relationship.
As a proactive measure, PCBUs need to ensure they have a gender neutral domestic and family violence policy in place that not only provides support to the affected employee but also affords deterrence to employees who would utilise company resources to stalk, harass, intimidate and bully their victims.
When workplaces lose the diversity of women in their ranks as a result of D&FV, they are effectively losing 50% of their economic potential.
ACTION: Should you need assistance with the drafting of your domestic and family violence policy for the workplace, please contact Michalle on (07) 5443 6022 or E: Michalle@eastcoasthr.com.au
