Robert Nobile and Lauren Breitman Tanen Published in HR Advisor
“Why Domestic Violence is an Employer’s Issue”

Robert Nobile and Lauren Breitman Tanen’s article, “Why Domestic Violence is an Employer’s Issue,” was published in the November/December 2009 issue of HR Advisor. In their article, Bob and Lauren discuss the effects of domestic violence in the workplace and the legal implications it creates for employers. According to the article, domestic violence is an issue that employers cannot afford to ignore. With one out of every four women reporting physical abuse by an intimate partner at some point in her lifetime, the authors note there is no doubt that this issue will reach small, mid-sized, and big companies at varying degrees and manifest itself in the workplace.

According to the authors, as more and more laws are enacted, employers who are unaware of these laws governing their conduct in this regard may face significant exposure to legal liability, including claims such as: negligence or reckless endangerment; failing to have adequate security; and violations of federal, state and local laws that require employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace (i.e. OSHA), and a discrimination/harassment-free workplace for employees.

The authors also point out that violence poses a threat to not only the victim, but it threatens the safety and well-being of an employer’s entire workforce, and in some cases, customers. Bob and Lauren provide several examples of important federal laws to consider in addition to local city and state laws. Bob and Lauren recommend that employers take a proactive approach to the issue, including: initiating education among their corporate leaders, general counsels, human resource professionals, and security response teams. The authors note that a business would significantly benefit from enacting a Domestic Violence in the Workplace Awareness and Tolerance Policy to ensure that a specific protocol is followed when businesses are faced with domestic violence situations.