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Domestic Violence Workplace Rights
and Entitlements Project
Domestic Violence Workplace Rights and Entitlements Project
Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence
andand
the Workplace
the Workplace
Employee, Employer and Union
Resources
Employee, Employer and Union Resources
This package contains a range of resources to support an effective response to domestic
violence as it affects the workplace.
The package has been developed by the Australian Domestic and Family Violence
Clearinghouse in collaboration with unions and employers across Australia. International
research and best practice have been used to inform the templates, guides and factsheets
enclosed.
These resources are intended as a guide, providing suggestions for those wishing to develop
and enhance their workplace response to domestic violence in the interests of safety,
productivity and employment sustainability.
A project of the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse (ADFVC), funded by the
Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations 2011
For more information about this project and to enquire about workplace training contact:
Ludo McFerran: (02) 9385 1806; 0423 231 058; [email protected]
Robyn Dale: (03) 9663 4555; 0414 706 148; [email protected]
Domestic Violence Workplace Rights
and Entitlements Project
Domestic Violence and
the Workplace
Employee, Employer and Union Resources
The package has been developed by the
Australian Domestic and Family Violence
Clearinghouse in collaboration with
unions and employers across Australia.
International research and best practice
have been used to inform the templates,
guides and factsheets enclosed.
These resources are intended as a
guide, providing suggestions for those
wishing to develop and enhance their
workplace response to domestic violence
in the interests of safety, productivity and
employee retention.
A project of the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse (ADFVC), funded by the
Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations 2011
Domestic Violence and the Workplace – Employee, Employer and Union Resources | Page 3
Introduction to the resources
This package of information is designed to assist
workplaces and unions to introduce domestic
violence workplace entitlements in an informed
and supportive environment. The information
provided was designed to be used in conjunction
with training delivered by the Domestic Violence
Workplace Rights and Entitlements Project.
The available evidence indicates that a significant
proportion of both male and female workers in
Australia are subjected to domestic violence at
any given time, with women experiencing the most
severe and ongoing forms of abuse. The costs
in productivity to industry and businesses across
the country have been calculated at hundreds of
millions of dollars.
Domestic violence affects work performance and
workplace safety for not only the victim but for
co-workers and whole organisations. In the most
severe cases, a number of women have been
murdered at work by their partner or ex-partner.
Workplaces have a duty of care to prevent harm to
workers and an economic imperative to facilitate
a productive working environment. Domestic
violence workplace entitlements, policies,
procedures and staff training provide an effective
framework for risk reduction and optimising
productivity.
The first domestic violence clauses were
introduced into Australian enterprise agreements
in 2010. A growing number of Australian
workplaces have followed by adopting the
clauses, including the New South Wales public
sector. At the time of publication, an estimated
300,000 Australian employees were covered by
domestic violence entitlements in their award or
agreement.
The following resources are contained in this
package:
1. Domestic violence and the workplace: an
overview............................................................... 4
2. Factsheet for employees...................................... 5
3. Information for unions and employers................. 6
4. Workplace guide: domestic violence policy
and procedures.................................................... 7
5. Workplace guide: domestic violence safety
planning............................................................. 10
6. Workplace guide: managing abusive calls
and emails.......................................................... 13
7. Legal definitions of domestic / family violence...15
8. Workplace questionnaire: assessing your
response to domestic violence.......................... 18
9. Information and referral contacts....................... 20
10.Key research references and international
good practice..................................................... 24
Permission to Use this Package
The resources provided can be downloaded and/or physically copied for workplace use. Permission
is given to re-badge the materials and add to them as appropriate for your workplace, provided that
written acknowledgment is given to the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse and
the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations.
Domestic Violence and the Workplace – Employee, Employer and Union Resources | Page 4
Domestic violence and the workplace:
an overview
n Both men and women can experience
domestic violence, but women experience
more severe and persistent forms of abuse and
are often more vulnerable as they may have the
primary care of children.
n Two thirds of women who have experienced
domestic violence with their current partner are
in paid employment.
n Domestic violence has serious health
consequences which will affect work
performance: A large study by VicHealth found
that family violence is the leading contributor to
death, disability and illness in women aged 1544 years, being a greater contributor than high
blood pressure, smoking or obesity.
n In 2011 the Australian Domestic and Family
Violence Clearinghouse (ADFVC) at the
University of New South Wales conducted a
domestic violence and the workplace survey
with over 3600 respondents: 30 percent
reported that they had personally experienced
domestic violence, with 5 percent having
experienced it in the previous 12 months.
n Nearly half those who had experienced
domestic violence reported that the violence
affected their capacity to get to work, the major
reason was physical injury or restraint (67
percent), followed by hiding keys and/or other
parent failing to care for children.
n For 19 percent, nearly one in five, the violence
continued in the workplace, with the majority
being harassed by abusive phone calls and
emails.
n The impacts on worker performance included,
feeling anxious, distracted and unwell, having
to take time off and being late to work.
n 100 percent of survey respondents thought
domestic violence could have an impact on
the working lives of employees, and 78 percent
thought that domestic violence workplace
entitlements could reduce the impact of
domestic violence in the workplace.
n The most dangerous times for a victim are post-
separation or during pregnancy, and arriving
and leaving work.
n Women who are subjected to domestic
violence have a more disrupted work history,
are on lower personal incomes, have had to
change jobs frequently and are very often
employed in casual and part time work than
women with no experience of violence.
n Access economics estimates the total costs
of lost productivity associated with family
violence was $484million in 2002/2003, to rise
to $609million in 2021/2022.
Staying in employment is critical to reducing
the effects of the violence. By supporting
victims to remain in paid employment,
workplaces can assist victims on their pathway
out of violence and keep the whole workplace
safer.
Supporting victims to stay in work by
implementing domestic violence entitlements
not only maintains productivity, but also
reduces recruitment and training costs for
employers.