Domestic violence affects one in three women at some point in her life and two thirds of these women are in the workforce. This statistic saddens me but it is the reality of what many women face on a day-to-day basis.
I was also disappointed, but not surprised, by research from the World Bank Group (WGB) which showed the negative economic impact of domestic violence. It showed that it’s not just individuals affected; the cost to the community equates to around 1.2 per cent of Australia’s GDP.
In order to fully address domestic violence in Australia, we cannot separate the workplace from the broader community.
Domestic violence is defined as including physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse so it’s little surprise that for a significant number of Australian workers, domestic violence affects their attendance at work, their performance and their safety. It also costs Australian workplaces and businesses in loss of productivity, attendance and turn over.
It was for this reason that last year we introduced a Domestic Violence Policy for our people. NAB was the first major bank, and one of the first major Australian businesses, to launch this policy. I congratulate my counterparts at Westpac who recently introduced a similar policy.
The policy was introduced to support our employees who experience domestic violence in dealing with the impacts of this issue. NAB employees who experience domestic violence have access to counselling, additional leave, flexibility in managing work schedules and arranging alternative work locations, as required. Cases are also treated confidentially, with managers providing a sensitive and non-judgmental approach.
The ability to take additional leave and change work schedules is particularly important for part-time and casual workers, who would otherwise be further burdened with forgone income when they needed to take time off to deal with the impacts of domestic violence.
We have put these measures in place because we want to ensure that those affected can stay financially independent, which can be crucial for surviving and escaping a violent relationship.
We also want to stop pressures faced at home from having an unwanted, negative career impact on our people – both men and women.
I strongly believe that addressing issues like domestic violence benefits a company’s employees, its customers and its shareholders and I hope to see more companies head in this direction.
To learn more about domestic violence and work, visit Safe at Home, Safe at Work.
NAB is one of Women’s Agenda’s Select Employers. Our Select Employers must address at least six of the ten criteria that we have identified as key gender workplace diversity policies and incentives. Click here to view NAB’s Select Employer profile and read about the leading and inspiring women they employ.