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Pamela R. Johnson and Susan Gardner: Department of Management, California State University, California, USA
On August 22, 1997, in Sunnyvale, California, a former independent contractor of NEC Electronics entered the workplace of his estranged girlfriend, forced her into an adjacent computer room where he later shot her to death. He committed suicide immediately thereafter (Chavez, 1997). In San Antonio, Charles Reuben White, 42, fatally shot his former girlfriend, Pamela Henry, 38. The killing occurred on the company premises of Protocall, Inc., an answering and paging service where Henry worked. Before taking his own life, White also shot and killed a second female and injured a third (Pisano, 1997)
Who are these victims of domestic violence? Your mother, your sibling, your colleague, your neighbor, your friend. A victim can be young or old, married or single, rich or poor. She can be black, white, Asian or Latino, college educated or a high school drop-out. Although age, income and marital status are factors which affect who experiences domestic abuse, the reality is that anyone can be a victim. Furthermore, these tragic homicides occur in all types of business - in large corporations and in small companies.
Historically, employers considered domestic violence as strictly a personal issue. When asked to comment, they offered several excuses for not getting involved: it's risky; it's no one else's business; it's hard to distinguish whether it is actually abuse; it's a lose/lose situation; it's not my problem. Today, however, much of corporate America views domestic abuse as a workplace issue, one that warrants serious attention (Woodward, 1998).
As a result, companies are beginning to understand that employees are not one-dimensional; rather, they are a complex package. They bring to the organization not only their skills and abilities but also their personal relationships and problems. Domestic violence accompanies the new employees and surfaces with more senior employees (Chavez, 1997). And, most importantly, employers are recognizing that the personal, real-life problems of their employees affect job performance, and job performance affects the bottom line. Costs to those affected include reduced productivity, increased absenteeism and turnover, increased risk of workplace violence, ensuing legal liabilities, and increased medical expenses. This paper discusses the effects of domestic violence in the workplace, the costs to the employer, and...