Safe space: Addressing gender-based violence at the workplace

SAELESE HAYNES

Dear AFETT,

What can I do to assist my employee who is being verbally and physically abused by her husband?

I do not want to get involved, but it is difficult to ignore her silent cry for help.

She has been a fantastic worker, but I can see how the abuse has been taking a toll both on her as well as in our work environment. We have a small work team and try to support each other.

Recently, male members of staff had to rescue this young woman and physically remove her from a violent situation near our office.

This feels far too close to home.

We are all scared, both for her and her children, and we are also afraid for ourselves in the event of a situation escalating in our place of business.

Do you have any resources to share in terms of next steps?

Dear Kim,

This year has not started on a good note for many of our women as we continue to be beleaguered by terrible and traumatic headlines.

Recent statistics tell us that gender-based and intimate partner violence continues to be on the rise.

Thank you for taking this step to seek support for you and your team, and we hope that you all continue to be safe.

Encourage affected employees to seek help

One of the first steps can be to suggest or recommend counselling for the young lady as well as any other employees directly or indirectly involved in the situation. If your business provides employee assistance programme services or the like, I would suggest you remind employees of its importance and how to access those services. If you do not have a workplace sponsored programme, it may be a good idea to share resources, both with the individual in question and generally on domestic violence hotlines, shelters, counselling services and legal services. You can reach out to us directly via email for material and contacts.

In terms of dealing with the issue on a team level, in all instances and as far as possible, only share private information with others on a need-to-know basis and with the consent of the individual affected. This will assist in ensuring privacy and confidentiality.

Ensure safety at work

I heard you loud and clear when you mentioned that you and other employees are concerned about the safety of the young lady in question as well as your own.

Consider reviewing and possibly implementing additional safety measures at the workplace, such as ensuring that the office is secure and employees know what to do in case of an emergency.

Provide your team with protocols on who gains access to designated spaces within the workplace and when.

You can also brief your security team on any proposed threats as well as the expectations for resolving them.

If this is within your control or recommendation, you can also offer the young lady flexible working hours or the option to work from home if it will allow her the opportunity to stay in a safe place and complete her duties.

Where there are incidents of violence or threats that occur at or near your workplace, document and investigate them using best practices and involve the authorities as and where necessary to ensure everyone's safety.

Educate your team

This is a prime opportunity to provide training and information with the team about domestic violence so they can better understand the signs and how to support someone in this situation.

Training may be required for staff members to teach them how to de-escalate tense or violent situations.

A team-wide education programme can also help create a supportive environment for the employee and for people who are undergoing similar situations.

Part of the education initiatives can involve inviting a specialist who can assist people in preparing safety plans and exit strategies to protect themselves and/or their children.

You can also reach out to the gender-based violence unit secretariat (usually based at the St Clair Police Station) for further direction and resources that can help in preparing a presentation for your team.

Seek legal advice

Consider recommending or consulting with a legal professional to understand what your obligations are as an employer and what steps you can take to protect your employee and team as a whole.

This is especially important as you have hinted that there has been an incident that happened in close proximity to your workplace. Risks of a further like or even worse incident need to be properly assessed and mitigated against, for instance by increasing security overall and ensuring that security protocols are followed.

In conclusion, please continue to keep in touch with us as well.

AFETT has a network of partners and support organisations that we can direct you toward.

In addition, through initiatives such as our annual International Women’s Day celebration (scheduled for March 20) and our 16 Days of Activism campaigns, AFETT continues to shed light on issues that affect women in our society.

Just as it is important for victims and survivors to reach out for help and support, it is equally as important for them to be provided with high-quality and helpful support when they do.

AFETT thanks you in advance for approaching the situation with empathy and understanding, and we truly hope that this situation is resolved peacefully.

This article was submitted by the Association of Female Executives of TT (AFETT).

AFETT is a non-profit organisation formed in 2002 with the goal of bringing together professional women and engaging in networking opportunities, training and business development.

Ask AFETT is brought to you by the Research and Public Advocacy team and addresses issues and concerns of executive and entrepreneurial professionals.