More than 1/3 of workers in Canada have or will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, and for more than half of those affected, the violence has followed them to work. We need to remove the stigma that domestic violence is a private matter.
Impact in the workplace
The University of Western Ontario, in conjunction with the Canadian Labour Congress, produced and researched a pan-Canadian survey on domestic violence and the workplace. Its findings shed a light on the overwhelming need for support and interventions in the workplace.
“Over 80 percent of those who reported experiencing domestic violence reported that it negatively affected their work performance. Almost 9% indicated they had lost their job as a result. The impact of domestic violence is wide-ranging, 37% reported that their co-workers were also affected; co-workers were stressed or concerned about the abusive situation”.