Domestic Violence Has Significant Impact on Business

By Marcela Perez de Alonso

It would certainly be more convenient to believe that abuse that occurs out of sight and in the privacy of someone’s home is just that – private.  It’s someone else’s problem. It doesn’t affect me. It’s none of my business.

But the facts indicate we all share the burden of domestic violence. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates intimate partner violence costs businesses about $6 billion annually in direct health care expenses, lost productivity and lifetime earnings.  Corporations are paying attention.

It’s not just the victim -- and the batterer themselves -- who experience absenteeism, health problems and diminished job performance. Children who witness violence suffer in ways that result in on-the-job distractions and more employee work days missed. Victims might be stalked by their batterer at the workplace, and it’s not uncommon for coworkers to be harassed by a colleague’s intimate partner.  Employers can and have been held liable for inadequate security and failure to protect their employees.

Domestic violence is a problem of epidemic proportions. The National Center for Victims of Crime says one in every four women – spanning race, socioeconomic group and educational background -- will experience domestic violence during her lifetime.  That’s a statistic we can’t ignore, for moral as well as business reasons. 

The problem is not private and not someone else’s business.  It’s all of ours.  We have a responsibility and an obligation to confront domestic violence and do all we can to end it today and for all time. A lot depends on it.

Marcela Perez de Alonso, a member of Next Door’s Board of Directors, is Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Hewlett-Packard Company, which has 150,000 employees worldwide.