"To affect real change we must begin by changing attitudes about violence and get the public at large involved in our cause," says Brooke McMurray, former victim and Chair of Safe Horizon's Board of Directors. Safe Horizon is a New York based organization dedicated to preventing and providing resources for domestic violence in the workplace.
"My life seemed a quintessential New York success story. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from Smith College and married an Ivy League graduate. Everyone thought I had married the perfect man. We lived in a brownstone just off Fifth Avenue and belonged to a country club. I was on the management track at Time, Inc., and my husband worked across the street at one of the city's leading investment banks. My life was a perfect hell."
Brooke's story is proof that domestic violence does not affect a specific type of person. She was beaten, tied up, locked out of her home, isolated from family and friends, and blamed for any problem that arose. Abuse is blind to race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, social or economic status. Thus, domestic violence will follow anyone into the workplace. It can be the cheerful secretary, your authoritative boss, or even yourself. It is important to open your ears for these victims or to express your situation to a close co-worker. In the 21st century, as evidenced by the cubical phase out and creation of open working spaces, corporations have been implanted with the desire to encourage interoffice collaboration and relationship building amongst co-workers.
In 1995, Brooke told her story for the first time to a New York audience. There was no need for her testimony before because no one had ever asked her to speak out. After her speech, she was approached by two women: Lucy Friedman from Victim's Services (the precursor to Safe Horizon) and former New York City District Attorney, Linda Fairstein. They asked Brooke to join their board and travel the country to educate companies about the prevalence and severity of domestic violence in the workplace. "They needed me for credibility. When I stand up to the management looking the way I do with the credentials I have, it's hard for someone to argue that DV doesn't happen here because it happened to me in a workplace just like this one."
Yet, companies have been slow to implement the infrastructure changes necessary to accommodate for domestic violence issues. The issue's pervasiveness is still commonly misunderstood and underrated. Brooke, a manager herself, can appreciate the trepidation of CEO's when asked to improve standards. "There has been a deterioration of the line between work life and personal life. All of the sudden, the work place is required to take on many issues that simply were not considered part of the workplace. In the early 1970s, the one that you could probably get assistance with was drinking, but over the years that ballooned into assistance with all kinds of things and then when you start talking about this with a company that is already strapped with financial concerns, it's like 'Oh my God, another problem.'"
However, companies fail to realize the enormous financial loss for inaction. Domestic violence impedes productivity, costing American businesses millions of dollars. According to a recent survey conducted by Safe Horizon and Liz Claiborne Inc., American companies will lose eight million days of paid work this year because of domestic violence and cost employers an estimated $6 billion each year in aggregate costs, including more than $4.1 billion in direct medical and mental health services and $1.8 billion in productivity losses. "When you begin educating people about the connection between financial stability and domestic violence and overall office safety they become more willing to get involved," said McMurray.
McMurray's goal is to have 200 C.E.O.'s sign a Domestic Violence pledge by 2010, demonstrating their commitment to raising awareness about the issue in the work place and creating a domestic violence policy for their company. "Dialogue about domestic violence would help eliminate the glass ceiling for women in the workplace. In some cases, the ceiling is deliberate -- some men living in corporate America are abusers, but many men are not and simply don't know it happens in their workplace." The same study found that CEO's believe 6% of the workforce is affected by domestic violence, but if you ask an employee, the number triples. One in four female employees (26%) identifies as a victim or survivor of domestic violence and nearly one in four employees (22%) reported that they have worked with a co-worker who was a victim." The discrepancy between the leadership at the top and the employees illustrates a void in communication and a need for greater education.
This is not to say American companies should be solely obligated to shoulder the burden of domestic violence. Public policy must provide both victim resources and funding for preventative education. In 2010, the Violence against Women Act (VAWA) is up for reauthorization and each American constituent is responsible to pressure his/her Representative to fully fund the legislation. Programs educating men about domestic violence and providing rape counseling are underfund and need VAWA resources to reach their target audiences.
When activists and supporters reference domestic violence in the workplace as an issue, they are not only speaking about the company or victim, but also children, families and communities as well. Everything and everyone is affected. No one is immune -- everyone is responsible to do what he or she can. Do your part. Find out if your workplace has a domestic violence policy. Even if you do not know of co-workers who are experiencing abuse, researching your company's policy can only make a positive impact for everyone. Speak out.
To learn more about Safe Horizon, visit www.safehorizon.org
Becky Lee is the founder of Becky's Fund, a national non-profit organization committed to ending domestic violence through prevention education, awareness, and advocacy. Please visit www.beckysfund.org for more information.