Let’s be honest—talking about domestic and family violence (DFV) at work feels uncomfortable. It’s easier to focus on quarterly reports, team meetings, and project deadlines than to acknowledge that some of our colleagues might be living in fear.
But here’s the reality we can’t ignore: 1 in 6 women and 1 in 16 men have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner in Australia. That means in your workplace right now, there are likely team members silently struggling with trauma that affects every aspect of their lives—including their ability to show up, perform, and thrive at work.
The Hidden Cost of Silence
The numbers tell a sobering story. Recent research shows that 35% of women working while experiencing domestic violence take time off work, averaging 31 days of absenteeism following abuse incidents. More than 68% of people experiencing family and domestic violence report a tangible impact in the workplace, including decreased productivity and increased absenteeism.
This isn’t just a personal tragedy—it’s an economic reality. Women experiencing DFV show a 9.1% lower rate of full-time employment and face significant barriers to career progression. The cumulative effect? A substantial drain on Australia’s workforce participation and productivity.
But here’s what’s even more troubling: most employees won’t access the support available to them at work due to fear, stigma, or simply not knowing it exists.
More Than Compliance—It’s About Culture
Under Work Health and Safety (WHS) law, Australian employers are obligated to identify and manage risks associated with domestic and family violence in the workplace. This includes implementing the four-step risk management process: hazard identification, risk assessment, control implementation, and regular review.
Yet compliance alone isn’t enough. This isn’t just a legal checkbox—it’s fundamentally about the culture we create and the people we choose to be when our colleagues need us most.
Culture is what keeps people. And right now, our silence is driving people away.
A Different Approach
What if we could transform good intentions into genuine support without overwhelming our teams? What if we could move from awkward silence to confident, trauma-informed responses?
This means:
- Embedding support into everyday work flows rather than treating DFV as a separate, stigmatised issue
- Creating ‘living profiles’ that help organisations understand their unique risk landscape and readiness to respond
- Training leaders to respond confidently when disclosures happen, rather than freezing or inadvertently causing further harm
- Building pathways from silence to safety that feel accessible and judgment-free
The Path Forward
If you’re a leader who wants to support your team but doesn’t know where to start, you’re not alone. The key is moving beyond good intentions to create systems that actually work—for survivors, for teams, and for organisations.
This means offering flexible work arrangements, paid domestic violence leave, employee assistance programs, and most importantly, creating an environment where people feel safe to seek help without fear of judgment or career consequences.
Why This Matters Now
Every day we delay action is another day that colleagues suffer in silence. Every missed opportunity to create genuine support systems is a chance lost to save lives, careers, and communities.
The uncomfortable truth is that domestic and family violence will touch your workplace—if it hasn’t already. The question isn’t whether you’ll encounter it, but whether you’ll be ready to respond with compassion, competence, and care when you do.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about policies and procedures. It’s about the kind of workplace—and the kind of society—we choose to build together.
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If you or someone you know needs support, contact 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) for confidential information, counselling and support 24/7.
