Gripped by humiliation, fear of an abusive partner, and concerns over child custody, job and financial security, many victims keep quiet at work about their experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). In Colorado alone, 33% of women and nearly 29% of men will experience relationship violence in their lifetimes. Approximately 25% of all relationships - both LGBTQ+ and heterosexual - experience IPV.
Intimate partner violence can create danger not only to a victimized partner or their children but also creates impact in the workplace. Victims of intimate partner violence lose nearly 8 million days of paid work each year due to fear, injury, partner control, and need to seek legal or other assistance. The workplace can also be a location of control and danger for victims as women who are killed at their workplaces are more likely to be killed by an intimate partner than any other type of assailant.
State Programs and Resources are available to assist victims and their workplaces.
State Programs:
CSEAP offers counseling, safety planning, and resources to victims and survivors of intimate partner violence. CSEAP can also assist perpetrators of violence in identifying local services. In addition, CSEAP offers a toolkit to employers and coworkers to guide their response to victims.
The state Domestic Violence Program offers funding to state and local programs as well as links to various resources to assist victims and perpetrators find help.
The Address Confidentiality Program is a statewide program that provides survivors of stalking, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and other crimes with a legal substitute address and mail forwarding service.
State and National Resources:
- Domestic Violence Hotline - https://www.thehotline.org/
- Local Domestic Violence Resource in Colorado - https://www.violencefreecolorado.org/resources-2/
- LGBTQ+ community information - https://www.thehotline.org/resources/abuse-in-lgbtq-communities/
- Domestic violence in communities of color - https://wocninc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/DVFAQ-1.pdf
Information and Toolkits for the Workplace:
- Domestic violence in the workplace - https://vawnet.org/sc/research-domestic-violence-and-workplace
- Employer response toolkit - https://www.workplacesrespond.org/
- Supervisor guide - https://www.workplacesrespond.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Guide-for-Supervisors.pdf