Research estimates the lifetime economic costs of intimate partner violence at $3.6 trillion and $3.1 trillion for sexual violence. We know violence doesn’t stay at home – it impacts our workplaces and economy. While victims and survivors' trauma typically occur in the home, they carry it with them wherever they go - including to the workplace. Abusive partners can be other employees or harass their victims in the same company or organization. Economic instability, such as we’ve experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic, can also increase the likelihood that these forms of violence will occur. In addition to the physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, or financial abuse victims may experience, they can also suffer from diminished workplace productivity, cognition, and efficiency.

It’s time to invest in your human capital. 

As business owners and managers, you can mitigate the harmful impacts of sexual and intimate partner violence by supporting your employees. As a statewide leader in violence prevention, DCADV offers free online professional development courses to enhance company culture to support thriving, respectful environments. We will work with your HR and management team to tailor the program to your organization’s individual needs. Improved workplace policies can alleviate economic instability, create thriving, respectful office environments, and ultimately decrease sexual and domestic violence incidents. For example, flex-hours can open more opportunities for employees to balance work responsibilities and critical personal needs, such as caring for children or elderly parents. Fair and equitable wages can alleviate a victim’s financial dependency on an abusive partner. Free or low-cost employee mental health programs can positively impact employees’ physical and psychological well-being and help victims heal from past violent experiences. DCADV’s courses can help your organization raise awareness, address larger societal issues, and identify resources available through state and regional partners. Our team will work with you directly to ensure all trainings are customized to your needs and help you create a safer, more inclusive work environment. Regardless of in-person or work-from-home offices, domestic and sexual violence impacts our workplaces. Be a part of the solution. By promoting inclusive and equitable workplace practices, you can invest in your employees and our community. To learn more about how your business can benefit from Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s free services, please visit www.dcadv.org/invest.

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This project is supported by the Grant Number CDC-RFA-CE19-1902, Rape Prevention and Education: Using The Best Available Evidence for Sexual Violence Prevention, funded by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.