Talk to almost any HR leader right now and you'll hear similar priorities:
Psychosocial safety. Employee wellbeing. Retention. Leadership capability. Flexible work. Compliance. Workplace culture.
These are the issues shaping workforce strategy across Australia.
Yet there is one issue that sits across every one of them, and we still often treat it as something outside the workplace.
Domestic and family violence.
It is estimated that domestic and family violence (DFV) costs the Australian economy $22 billion annually (KPMG, 2016).
Other studies have found that it impacts directly on Australian businesses to the sum of $1.9 billion in areas such as: lost opportunity costs, errors, poor service, stress, performance management, search and hiring costs, retaining costs and permanent loss of labour (AHCR, 2014).
DFV doesn't stop at the front door
For many organisations, domestic and family violence is still viewed as a private matter. Something that happens at home rather than at work.
Although the violence may occur outside the workplace, its impacts don't stop when someone starts their workday. 1 in 5 Australian women say the violence continues at work (PSC, 2017).
Women who have experienced DFV say this can happen via abusive calls and emails, or even their abusive partner turning up to their workplace (GVRN, 2011).
This not only poses significant risk or harm to the person experiencing but also to other colleagues.
The impacts of domestic and family violence can show up in attendance, concentration, confidence, wellbeing, safety and performance. It can affect team dynamics, leadership conversations and workplace culture.
That's why I believe domestic and family violence belongs firmly on the HR agenda.
Not because workplaces are expected to become counsellors or crisis services.
But because workplaces can play an important role in recognising risk, responding appropriately and connecting people to support.
Why I'm writing this series
Over the coming weeks, I'll be exploring six areas where domestic and family violence intersects with the challenges HR leaders, People & Culture teams, WHS professionals and people leaders are already navigating every day.
1. The HR Issue We Still Treat as Personal
Why domestic and family violence impacts wellbeing, attendance, retention, culture and organisational risk.
2. Flexible Work Is Not Automatically Safe Work
The opportunities and risks that hybrid and flexible work arrangements can create for people experiencing DFV.
3. Why Managers Freeze When DFV Enters the Workplace
How we equip leaders with the confidence to recognise, respond and refer without expecting them to become experts.
4. Psychosocial Safety Includes What Employees Bring to Work
Why DFV belongs in conversations about psychosocial hazards, employee wellbeing and workplace risk.
5. The Hidden Technology Risks in Workplace DFV Response
How devices, digital systems and workplace communication tools can unintentionally create safety, privacy and monitoring concerns.
6. From Policy to Practice: What Good Workplace Response Looks Like
What it takes to move beyond policy and build genuine workplace capability, confidence and culture.
Why this matters
The conversation around psychosocial safety has grown significantly in recent years, and rightly so. Organisations are working hard to identify and manage risks that affect employee wellbeing.
DFV needs to be part of that conversation.
When someone is experiencing fear, trauma, coercive control or ongoing safety concerns, those impacts don't stay neatly separated from work. They can affect how a person feels, functions and engages at work every day.
Building capability and confidence
Another challenge I regularly hear from organisations is that managers don't feel confident responding when DFV is disclosed.
That's completely understandable.
Most leaders are afraid of saying the wrong thing, overstepping boundaries or making a difficult situation worse.
The good news is they don't need to be experts.
They simply need the confidence to recognise when someone may need support, respond with empathy and refer them to the right pathways.
In reality, this is where many organisations get stuck.
They may have a policy. They may offer leave provisions. They may genuinely care about their people.
But policy alone doesn't create capability.
Employees need to know support exists. Managers need practical guidance. Leaders need confidence. Organisations need clear, safe and consistent processes.
Most importantly, people need to know they will be treated with dignity if they reach out for help.
Moving forward
The question for HR is no longer whether domestic and family violence impacts the workplace.
It does.
The real question is whether we're prepared to respond.
Because when you look closely at today's biggest workplace challenges, DFV isn't sitting on the edge of the conversation.
It's already in it.
Through this series, I'll explore how organisations can build awareness, confidence and capability across each of these six areas, creating workplaces that are not only safer, but better equipped to support their people when it matters most.
At Challenge DV, we believe safer workplaces contribute to safer communities. And while workplaces can't solve domestic and family violence, they can play an important role in helping people feel safer, supported and connected to the help they need.
Find out more
Challenge DV offers programs and services that ensure your organisation is not just compliant, but truly committed to creating lasting change.
Get a quick training quote or contact me, Lizzy Edwards, Corporate Solutions Manager, to find out how we can work together: lizzy@challengedv.org
