Question

How could employers better ensure the security of their workplace with respect to domestic violence? What challenges might there be in implementing a solution to the problem?

Answer 1

Employers can ensure the security of their workplace with respect to domestic violence in the following ways:

Identification of warning Signals: Employees who experience domestic violence are more likely to report it to a co-worker than to others in the workplace; hence, all employees should be trained to recognize the warning signals and risk factors for domestic violence.

Establishing a support network: Various workplace parties can offer support and assistance to employees experiencing domestic violence. Working together in a team which may include the supervisor, trusted co-worker, human resources, Employee Assistance Program provider and union representatives may be a helpful approach to providing a supportive network.

Developing a Plan of safety: Workplaces should create an individualized personal and workplace safety plans to address the situation of the worker and other employees. Updating the plans as circumstances change is also essential. The plan must be shared with anyone who needs to know about the situation in order to ensure safety.

The challenges in implementing a solution to the workplace violence problems can be the following:

• There is no separate law to prevent or make workplace violence a punishable offence. We have to depend on the Occupational Safety and Health Act and its general guidelines.
• Sometimes the employer can be prosecuted if there is any violence in the workplace under the tort law.
• Background checks can be one effective way before recruiting any employee; but a through background check can take a long time and become cumbersome resulting in loss of business.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is not always an answer to such violence as most of the affected employees would only share such incidents to their co-workers only.
• Prevention of violence among co-workers is not possible when there is any altercations among the workers outside the office premises.