Intimate partner violence: The impact on employees and their workplace

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has significant impacts on individuals, but also potential implications on individual's workplaces in terms of productivity and safety concerns of other employees. This study examined experiences of IPV, work implications, and help-seeking at the workplace among a sample of mangers and non-managerial employees in a large, U.S based worksite comprised largely of females. A web-based survey was used to collect information from 589 employees (195 managers and 394 non-managerial employees). Using the Revised Conflicts Tactics Scale, approximately 5% of managers and 8% of their employees reported some form of physical or sexual abuse experienced during the past year. Among managers who experienced IPV in the past year, the majority reported no impact on their ability to work. Among non-managerial employees, approximately 45% of respondents reported that their IPV experience impacted their ability to work. The most frequently reported work impacts included distraction, missed days, and an inability to complete assignments on time. For both managers and non-managerial employees, most did not report the experience to anyone at the workplace primarily because they did not think the issue was a serious enough problem. Interestingly, when respondents without IPV experiences in the past year were asked the likelihood of reporting future IPV issues, less than 25% felt they would report the issue to a manager, co-worker, or someone else at the company. Findings from this study provide insights into potential implications of IPV on employee productivity and challenges that may exist to IPV help-seeking in a workplace setting.