HUMAN RESOURCES
How to support staff experiencing domestic violence
Sadly , due to more people working from home during the pandemic , cases of domestic violence have been on the rise since last year , according to a survey from the Australian Institute of Criminology . Here is how businesses can best support their staff and help keep them safe . By Georgie Chapman
F amily , domestic and sexual violence ( FDV ) in Australia is a significant health and welfare issue that affects people from all ages and backgrounds , but particularly women and children .
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare , it is estimated that around Australia , one woman is killed every nine days and one man is killed every 29 days by a partner , and approximately 17 per cent of women and 6 per cent of men have experienced physical or sexual violence from a current or previous partner since the age of 16 .
Accounts of FDV are regularly featured in current affairs , and it has been reported by Monash University that since the first recorded cases of Covid-19 in Australia , Google searches relating to FDV increased by 75 per cent and the number of first-time family violence reports increased by 42 per cent .
It is now imperative that employers understand the challenges that an employee ’ s exposure to FDV can present for them as an individual , as well as to the workforce , and to understand how to support employees experiencing FDV while also managing legal risk from an employment law perspective .
What is family and domestic violence ? The Family Violence Protection Act 2008 outlines that family violence is behaviour by a person towards a family member that is physically , sexually , emotionally , psychologically , or economically abusive , is threatening , coercive or in any other way controls or dominates the family member and causes that family member to feel fear for the safety or wellbeing of that family member or another person .
Challenges of family and domestic violence Employees cannot be expected to leave the impacts of FDV “ at the door ” when they arrive at work . FDV can impact on an employee ’ s self-esteem , confidence , work productivity and performance , safety , and interpersonal relationships within the workplace . It can also lead to the development of mental health conditions .
FDV can lead to increased staff turnover , high rates of absenteeism , loss of productivity , emotional impacts on other team members , decreased workplace morale and safety risks .
It is pivotal that employers look for ways to support employees experiencing FDV .
Family and domestic violence under the Fair Work Act 2009 and modern awards The Government and other bodies have recognised the impact FDV has on workplaces and have introduced measures to assist in supporting those exposed to FDV .
Since 1 August 2018 , all modern awards now include an entitlement to five days of unpaid family and domestic violence leave for employees who are victims of FDV and may need time to do something to deal with or alleviate the effects of family violence but are
54 | www . insideretail . com . au May 2021