Introduction
Domestic violence is a significant problem for millions of people internationally. According to Laharnar et al. (2015), this issue is severe “affecting 30 percent of women worldwide” (p. 109). The problem is dangerous because victims suffer from physical and mental consequences in their homes. However, one should also highlight that domestic violence can result in a harmful impact on people’s employment. Since the problem attracts much attention, it is reasonable to consider what scientific works comment on the issue, its implications, and possible responses. The current assignment synthesizes evidence about domestic violence and its impact on organizations, comments on the two selected articles by Laharnar et al. (2015) and Showhalter (2016), and offers specific recommendations to address the problem.
Issue Description
Domestic violence is harmful phenomenon that brings negative consequences for different people, especially women. This term stands for the violent or aggressive behavior of one person toward their partner, which refers to psychological, physical, emotional, and financial abuse (Showhalter, 2016, p. 37). Women are more subject to the problem, and they often suffer physically and mentally from the issue (Adhia et al., 2019). If violence is present, victims cannot live fully-fledged lives because the consequences of abuse follow them and prevent individuals from engaging in various activities.
Furthermore, one should highlight that domestic violence can adversely affect organizations because the problem worsens employees’ performance. Firstly, there is no doubt that domestic violence negatively impacts employees’ ability to complete their workplace tasks. Bennett et al. (2019) stipulate that the fear of stigma often makes victims keep their problem secret (p. 139). As a result, supervisors rely on disciplinary sanctions when some employees show poor performance, decreased attendance, and other harmful behaviors (Bennett et al., 2019, p. 137). These sanctions are not productive because a person starts feeling unsafe at home and in the workplace, as Adhia et al. (2019) confirm. In this case, such an employee suffers from psychological consequences, while an organization also faces disadvantages because its employees fail to perform their tasks properly.
Secondly, it is worth admitting that the entire workplace environment suffers if a single employee is subject to domestic violence. For example, if a person suffers from domestic abuse, and everybody knows it, the performance levels of an entire department decrease (Adhia et al., 2019, p. 110). This fact occurs because individuals are significantly concerned with the problem, which makes it difficult to focus on performing their tasks (Laharnar et al., 2015). That is why Adhia et al. (2019) mention that interventions should be organization-wide to ensure that even those people who will not be subject to the problem will know how to mitigate the issue (p. 109). This information demonstrates that organizations should be prepared to deal with the consequences of domestic violence.
One should also mention that domestic violence can affect the workplace negatively and positively. On the one hand, negative impacts prevail because the phenomenon is harmful by its nature. According to Showhalter (2016), disadvantages include “workplace disruptions,” “a decline in performance and productivity”, as well as “job loss or unemployment” (p. 37). These factors confirm the statement that both individuals and organizations suffer from the problem. On the other hand, domestic violence can positively affect the workplace under certain conditions. Laharnar et al. (2015) stipulate that employees “reported positive workplace reactions to intimate partner violence disclosure,” while the lack of awareness should be reduced to promote improvement (p. 109). For example, a supervisor can advise a victim to find an appropriate response to the crisis, while increased workplace safety and confidentiality are also helpful (Laharnar et al., 2015, p. 116). This information reveals that family abuse can bring negative impacts to my workplace, but positive outcomes are possible if an organization knows how to respond.
Thirdly, one should also acknowledge the fact that many people today deal with remote working, which makes them even more subject to domestic abuse. This approach became significantly requested during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this adversely affected the problem under consideration. On the one hand, domestic abuse rates increased dramatically during the lockdown (Piquero et al., 2021, p. 1). On the other hand, victims of this phenomenon experienced even more harmful effects because they were forced to work together with their aggressors (Adhia et al., 2019). It is not surprising that employees cannot adequately perform their job functions under such conditions. Thus, decreased performance and productivity of individual employees adversely impact the performance of an entire organization.
Reflection of Academic Materials
The given section offers detailed comments on the two scientific articles and reveals what the authors say about the selected topic. Laharnar et al. (2015) mention that, since domestic violence is widespread internationally, “16 US states adopted laws providing leave for employed survivors” (p. 109). In other words, the authors stipulate that the American government draws attention to the existing problem and offers particular interventions to help victims overcome harmful outcomes. Simultaneously, Showhalter (2016) focuses on the connection between family abuse and employment stability (p. 38). The researcher also indicates that the problem is so essential that a comprehensive intervention plan is needed to address it and protect individuals as well as organizations from harmful consequences (Showhalter, 2016, p. 37). This discussion demonstrates that the two selected articles offer useful information about the problem under analysis.
It seems that the authors present a comprehensive and unbiased overview of the chosen topic. An article by Showhalter (2016) comments on how significantly the issue affects women and what specific impacts are found in the workplace (p. 45). Simultaneously, Laharnar et al. (2015) stipulate that there are specific laws to mitigate the adverse impact of domestic violence on employees (p. 124). Thus, the two article are high-quality works that explicitly indicate that domestic violence is harmful event for the workplace, and effective interventions are needed to address it.
I understand that the topic is of significance today, which makes me interested in it. Even though I have never faced domestic violence personally, I understand that I can be familiar with its victims because the problem is widespread (Adhia et al., 2019, p. 109; Piquero et al., 2021). Thus, I think that I will experience a few advantages if I know how to respond to this problem. This knowledge and skills will ensure that I can help survivors of domestic abuse choose appropriate actions and make good decisions to protect themselves from aggressive impacts. It is necessary to be prepared for potential challenges to know how to mitigate various problems, and the adverse impact of domestic violence on organizations is among them.
Workplace Recommendations
Now, it is reasonable to comment on corrective steps to overcome the negative consequences and explain how my personal company can utilize this information. Once a person faces domestic abuse, they need specific assistance to recover and be ready to be a fully-fledged employee. Paid leave can be given to victims of family abuse by law, but not all organizations and individuals are aware of this regulation (Laharnar et al., 2015, p. 109). Thus, my company will benefit if all the employees and managers perfectly know how and when this law can be applied. When it is necessary to go forward, we should think about employees’ psychological and physical well-being, as Piquero et al. (2021) suggest. That is why a paid leave seems a suitable solution because this intervention demonstrates that the workplace is a safe environment, while this refreshment can help a person accumulate strength to cope with employment responsibilities.
Since the information above has emphasized the impact of domestic violence on the workplace, it is possible to offer a few recommendations on how organizations can address and mitigate the issue. Firstly, a suitable response is to rely on the existing law to provide domestic violence victims with additional leave options (Laharnar et al., 2015, p. 109). Secondly, trade unions can help companies cope with the identified problem. In particular, these structures can help reveal decreased performance reasons and find an effective response to them (Bennett et al., 2019, p. 142). Thirdly, numerous interventions exist to establish a specific organizational culture in the workplace. These steps include recognizing signs of abuse, providing victims with community-based resources, and responding to victims (Adhia et al., 2019, p. 149). One should also stipulate that appropriate measures are needed to affect aggressors. For example, organizations should have security guards who will prevent these perpetrators from entering the office. Another potential response is to call the police to ensure that law enforcement officers deal with aggressors.
Conclusion
Domestic violence is a severe problem worldwide and can adversely affect organizations. Psychological, physical, and economic abuse impacts numerous people often result in the fact that survivors cannot adequately perform their job tasks. As a result, their productivity, motivation, and relationship with colleagues can decrease, which adversely impacts the entire organization, and numerous scientific articles prove this statement. The articles by Laharnar at el (2015) and Showhalter (2016) comprehensively analyze the problem and acknowledge its negative consequences. However, the problem can positively influence an organization if the latter knows how to provide domestic violence victims with adequate assistance. I would use the identified evidence to mitigate domestic violence consequences in my future company.
References
Adhia, A., Gelaye, B., Friedman, L. E., Marlow, L. Y., Mercy, J. A., & Williams, M. A. (2019). Workplace interventions for intimate partner violence: A systematic review. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 34(3), 149-166. Web.
Bennett, T., Wibberley, G., & Jones, C. (2019). The legal, moral, and business implications of domestic abuse and its impact in the workplace. Industrial Law Journal, 48(1), 137-142. Web.
Laharnar, N., Anger, W. K., & Glass, N. (2015). Workplace domestic violence leave laws: Implementation, use, implications. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 8(2), 109-128. Web.
Piquero, A. R., Jennings, W. G., Jemison, E., Kaukinen, C., & Knaul, F. M. (2021). Domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic – Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 74, 1-10. Web.
Showhalter, K. (2016). Women’s employment and domestic violence: A review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 31, 37-47. Web.