Introduction: The Hidden Currents of Control
Domestic and family violence (DFV) is often imagined in physical terms — bruises, broken bones, hospital visits. But ask survivors what kept them trapped, and many will tell you it wasn’t fists. It was control. It was the quiet tightening of financial screws. It was the ever-present surveillance that reached even into their workplace.
Workplaces often assume that DFV is “out there,” beyond their remit. But in reality, the workplace is one of the key battlegrounds where coercive control and economic abuse play out. Whether through sabotaged shifts, stolen wages, or constant monitoring, perpetrators often weaponise work as another site of domination.
This blog explores how economic abuse and coercive control manifest in the workplace, why leaders must recognise these dynamics, and what organisations can do to transform from sites of harm into sites of safety.
Part 1: Understanding Economic Abuse
What It Is
Economic abuse occurs when a perpetrator controls a person’s access to financial resources, undermining their independence and ability to leave. It’s recognised as a form of DFV in Australian law.
How It Shows Up at Work
In the workplace, economic abuse may look like:
- Preventing employment: pressuring or forbidding someone from taking a job.
- Sabotaging attendance: hiding keys, cutting off transport, or disrupting childcare.
- Stealing income: intercepting wages, coercing staff to hand over pay, or demanding access to bank accounts.
- Creating debt: forcing an employee to take out loans or credit cards in their name.
Work becomes a site of financial control, rather than independence. Survivors may be physically present at work, but their wages, choices, and futures are still controlled elsewhere.
Part 2: Coercive Control at Work
Beyond the Home
Coercive control is a pattern of behaviour designed to dominate and entrap. It doesn’t stop when someone clocks in for their shift.
Common Tactics in the Workplace
- Harassment during shifts: repeated calls, texts, or surprise visits.
- Isolation: discouraging or forbidding workplace friendships.
- Micromanagement: monitoring rosters, interrogating pay slips, questioning interactions.
- Reputation damage: spreading rumours in professional circles, threatening to contact managers.
The aim is the same: erode autonomy, induce fear, and keep the survivor dependent.
Part 3: Case Study Scenarios
Scenario 1: The Disrupted Nurse
A nurse reports constant late arrivals. Her manager assumes disorganisation. In reality, her partner hides her car keys each morning. Without a supportive workplace lens, her “lateness” looks like poor performance, not evidence of coercive control.
Scenario 2: The Stolen Wages
An admin assistant’s pay is funnelled into a joint account her partner controls. She has no spending autonomy. When she asks for an advance to cover food, her manager assumes financial irresponsibility. The truth is economic abuse.
Scenario 3: The Harassed Barista
A barista receives dozens of texts during her shifts. Colleagues roll their eyes. But those texts are constant check-ins from a controlling partner, reinforcing fear and distraction at work.
Each scenario shows how easily workplaces misinterpret abuse as “poor performance” if they lack awareness.
Part 4: Why Workplaces Must Act
Work as a Protective Factor
For many survivors, the workplace is their only refuge of independence. A regular wage, supportive colleagues, and a routine can provide the stability needed to plan for safety.
The Risks of Inaction
Ignoring signs of economic abuse and coercive control has consequences:
- Survivors may quit or be dismissed, deepening dependence on perpetrators.
- Organisations risk breaching WHS duties to manage psychosocial hazards.
- Cultural trust is eroded if employees see leadership ignoring harm.
Part 5: Recognising the Signs
Workplaces should train staff to notice potential red flags, such as:
- Frequent unexplained absences or lateness.
- Extreme anxiety about shift changes.
- Colleagues overhearing controlling calls or visits.
- Requests for advances or difficulty accessing wages.
- Withdrawal from workplace social activities.
Not every case indicates DFV — but recognising patterns with empathy is the first step.
Part 6: Practical Supports
Policy
- Explicitly recognise DFV, economic abuse, and coercive control as workplace issues.
- Outline entitlements like paid DFV leave, flexible work, and financial assistance.
Culture
- Normalise conversations about DFV in staff meetings and communications.
- Display helplines (like 1800RESPECT) in discreet but visible places.
Direct Support
- Offer flexible rosters and leave.
- Protect confidentiality of pay details and contact information.
- Partner with financial counselling or DFV services for referrals.
Part 7: A Leadership Imperative
Leaders often ask: “But is this really my role?” The answer is yes. Under WHS law, employers have a duty to eliminate or minimise psychosocial risks, including DFV where it intersects with work.
Beyond compliance, though, is a cultural imperative: the hours we spend at work mean it must be a site of safety. Leaders who ignore DFV risk not just legal liability but fractured cultures and reputational damage.
Part 8: A Vision for DFV-Safe Workplaces
Imagine a workplace where:
- An employee can safely disclose economic abuse without fear of dismissal.
- Pay systems are secure against perpetrators’ interference.
- Managers are trained to recognise coercive control and respond with empathy.
- Work becomes not just a source of income, but a lifeline to independence.
This is not utopian. It is entirely achievable when leaders step up.
Conclusion: Breaking the Chains of Control
Economic abuse and coercive control are insidious, often invisible — but they shape the daily reality of many workers. When workplaces dismiss these issues as “private,” they reinforce perpetrators’ control.
When they acknowledge them, provide safe policies, and act with empathy, they break those chains.
Workplaces cannot fix DFV alone. But they can offer survivors the one thing perpetrators seek to deny: safety, independence, and the chance to reclaim control over their own lives.
