This article is written by Ann Sofie Baeck, Policy Analyst, Canada.

This article was prepared by Ann Sofie Baeck in her personal capacity, and the opinions expressed in this article are the author's own.

  • The problem: Public servants are viewed as immune to domestic violence by their employers.
  • Why it matters: Public servants that are victims or perpetrators of domestic violence will often not receive the support/help they need.
  • The solution: Employers need to develop policies, guidelines and other resources to address domestic violence among public servants as well as educating employees on signs of domestic violence, and how to act if they suspect a colleague is a victim or preparator.

A definition of domestic violence and who it affects

There are several definitions of domestic violence, also referred to as intimate partner violence, gender-based violence and domestic abuse, but the following definition from the United Nations summarises it well. Domestic violence is:

A pattern of behaviour in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviours that frighten, intimidate, terrorise, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. It can occur within a range of relationships including couples who are married, living together or dating. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels.  […] Victims of domestic abuse may also include a child or other relative, or any other household member.

Certain groups such as women, girls, indigenous individuals, people with disabilities and non-binary and transgender individuals etc. are more vulnerable due to sexism, racism and heteronormativity.

Globally, almost 27% of women aged between 15-49 years that have been in a relationship report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their partner (World Health Organization). In Canada more than four in ten women have experienced some form of violence from their intimate partner during their lifetimes, and 65% know a woman who has experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence (Canadian Women’s Foundation).

According to Statistics Canada 1,125 gender-related homicides of women and girls took place between 2011 and 2021 in the country. 66% of these were perpetrated by an intimate partner, 28% by a family member and 5% by a friend or acquaintance. In 2022 at least one woman or girl was killed every 48 hours in Canada (Canadian Women’s Foundation).

A lot of the time victims feel alone and asking can make them realise somebody cares, and even if nothing happens at the time, it can be the reason that someone leaves a violent relationship years later.

Domestic violence costs society billions of dollars each year and often carries over into the workplace, threatening victims’ ability to maintain economic independence. Almost 40% of those who have experienced abuse said it made it difficult for them to get to work, and 8.5% said they lost their jobs because of it (Canadian Women’s Foundation). Yet in my experience, public servants are viewed as being immune to it and supervisors or colleagues are rarely aware of what signs to look for or how to act; it is simply considered something that happens to the ‘other’; e.g., social services’ clients and not ‘us’.

A problem of invisibility in public service

Each time I have been hired by municipalities to develop domestic violence policies, guidelines and resources, I have been instructed that staff members experiencing domestic violence is out of scope and is a human resource (HR) responsibility. However, in my experience, HR rarely has any supports in place in this field and it is considered to be the domain of social services. Yet statistically a lot of our colleagues are victims or perpetrators of domestic violence.

💬 Let the author know what you think about the role of HR in abuse cases by leaving a comment below

This invisibility makes it likely that the affected employees are not getting the support they need to either leave a violent relationship or stop using violence, which may ultimately lead to the death of our colleagues.

I believe the main reason for this situation is a lack of knowledge, support and clarity. Not all workplaces have policies, guidelines or support in place or have educated their employees on signs of domestic violence or what to do if you suspect a colleague is a victim or perpetrator. In workplaces where these supports are available, staff and supervisors are not always aware that these resources exist or where to find them.

What can be done?

Public service agencies and governments must stop seeing domestic violence as limited to certain sectors/ministries or populations and take a holistic approach. This includes realising that it can happen to any of their employees and that preventive work is essential and beneficial. This will save money as it is not unusual that victims will end up on sick leave, and it will also increase productivity as employees feeling safe are more productive. But most importantly, it can save lives.

The first step is to develop policies, guidelines and other resources that will support staff members and supervisors to address domestic violence. Once developed, these resources must be spread throughout the organisation, be easily accessible and continuously updated.

The second step is to give each public servant a basic education on what domestic violence is, what the signs may be and what to do if you suspect one of your colleagues is the victim of or perpetrator of domestic violence. For new employees this could be given as part of the orientation, but preferably a couple of weeks after the employee has started in order to have the most impact, and for existing employees it could be mandatory training that needs to be renewed every year.

These steps outline the bare minimum of what each employer should do and employers should not be satisfied just because they have fulfilled these but constantly strive to do better, independently of changing political situations.

Other things that can be done include appointing contact persons for domestic violence in each department. These individuals can support staff members and supervisors in addressing domestic violence among staff. The contact persons will need additional and continuous training and opportunities to meet and discuss situations that have occurred and share their experience in a safe forum.

What can you do?

Remember this is a complex issue that needs to be addressed on several levels. However, if you suspect a colleague or a supervisor is a victim of domestic violence the most important thing you can do is ask, and keep asking even if you receive negative responses at first. The questions you ask are always dependent on the context and there is no one question that will fit all situations, but here are some examples:

  • “I am concerned about you, are you ok? Is everything ok at home?”
  • If there is a specific thing you are concerned about, you can say: “I saw bruises/heard yelling/noticed X, are you ok?”

Make sure you ask in an appropriate setting. The questions don’t have to be complicated, but emphasise that everyone deserves a life free of violence. A lot of the time victims feel alone and asking can make them realise somebody cares, and even if nothing happens at the time, it can be the reason that someone leaves a violent relationship years later. You will be surprised how much just asking can help.

My hope is that this article has made you think about your employer and how they address domestic violence and to find out if there are any policies, guidelines or other supports at your workplace.

And if you, who are reading this, are a victim or perpetrator of domestic violence, please remember you are not alone and there is help available.

I am going leave you with the following words:

Violence does NOT belong in any relationship and every single person deserves to feel safe in their homes, in their relationships and in their workplaces.

Done reading? Make sure to share your own thoughts by leaving a comment below ⬇️

(Image credit: Unsplash)