Psychosocial safety is one of the biggest workplace conversations right now.
HR teams, leaders and boards are investing significant time and effort into understanding the factors that can affect psychological health and wellbeing at work. Workload, workplace relationships, role clarity, organisational change and bullying all rightly feature in those discussions.
But there is one factor that I think is still missing from many conversations.
Domestic and family violence.
Too often, domestic and family violence is viewed as something that sits outside the workplace. Something personal. Something that happens at home.
The reality is much more complex.
A national study released by Monash University involving more than 3,000 victim-survivors – From workplace sabotage to embedded supports: examining the impact of domestic and family violence across Australian workplaces – found that two in three reported domestic and family violence impacted their ability to concentrate at work, while two in five said it affected their productivity and ability to enjoy their job. The study also found that one in two reported negative impacts on career progression and opportunities.
Those statistics tell an important story.
Domestic and family violence does not stop at the workplace door.
Its impacts are often felt every day at work through reduced concentration, increased stress, fatigue, safety concerns, absenteeism and difficulties staying engaged.
That is why I believe domestic and family violence belongs in conversations about psychosocial safety.
The question is no longer whether domestic and family violence impacts the workplace.
The real question is whether we are prepared to recognise and respond when it does.
We don't leave our lives at the door
One of the things I often say when speaking with leaders is this:
People do not leave their experiences at the workplace door.
When someone is living with domestic and family violence, the impacts do not simply disappear during work hours.
Fear.
Anxiety.
Poor sleep.
Financial stress.
Ongoing safety concerns.
These experiences can influence concentration, decision-making, confidence, wellbeing and overall engagement at work.
They can also create workplace safety risks that organisations may not immediately recognise.
This is why I believe domestic and family violence needs to be considered as part of broader psychosocial safety conversations.
Not because workplaces are responsible for solving domestic and family violence.
But because workplaces do have a responsibility to understand risks, support their people and create safe systems of work.
The signs aren't always obvious
One of the challenges is that domestic and family violence does not always look the way people expect it to.
Many people experiencing abuse continue to come to work every day.
They may be high performers.
They may never disclose what is happening.
They may work incredibly hard to ensure nobody notices.
But leaders may observe subtle changes such as:
Increased absenteeism
Difficulty concentrating
Changes in behaviour or confidence
Withdrawal from colleagues
Anxiety, stress or fatigue
Unexpected fluctuations in performance
Requests for flexibility or time away from work
Of course, none of these signs automatically indicate domestic and family violence.
They may be linked to any number of challenges.
But they do create an opportunity for a supportive conversation.
And sometimes, that simple check-in matters more than we realise.
Why manager confidence matters
One of the most common things I hear from leaders is:
"What if I say the wrong thing?"
It's a completely understandable concern.
Most managers genuinely care about their people. They are not worried because they do not want to help. They are worried because they do.
The good news is that managers do not need to be experts.
They do not need all the answers.
They do not need to become counsellors.
What they do need is the confidence to start a conversation and connect someone with support.
Sometimes the most powerful thing a leader can say is:
"I've noticed you don't seem yourself lately. How are you going?"
It's a simple question.
But it creates space.
And that space can make a real difference.
Work can be part of the solution
When we talk about domestic and family violence, it is easy to focus on the risks.
And those risks are very real.
But work can also be an important protective factor.
For many people experiencing abuse, work provides:
Financial independence
Social connection
Purpose and routine
Access to support
Stability during uncertainty
Opportunities to seek help safely
This is one of the reasons workplaces matter so much.
Not because they replace specialist services.
But because they can provide connection, stability and pathways to support.
For some people, work may be one of the few places where they feel seen, valued and safe.
Moving beyond awareness
Most organisations are aware that domestic and family violence exists.
The challenge is moving beyond awareness and into capability.
That means asking practical questions such as:
Do our managers know how to respond when concerns arise?
Do employees understand what support is available?
Are referral pathways clear and easy to access?
Have we considered DFV within our psychosocial safety approach?
Have we equipped leaders with the confidence to have supportive conversations?
Would our people feel safe asking for help?
These are the questions that move organisations from good intentions to meaningful action.
A more complete view of psychosocial safety
Psychosocial safety is often discussed through the lens of workplace-created risks.
That's important.
But people are whole human beings.
Sometimes the factors affecting someone's wellbeing originate outside the workplace.
Yet the impacts are felt within it.
If we genuinely want to create psychologically safe workplaces, domestic and family violence cannot sit on the edge of the conversation.
It needs to be part of it.
Because creating safer workplaces is not just about reducing hazards.
It's about creating environments where people feel safe, supported and connected to help when they need it most.
A question for leaders
If an employee experiencing domestic and family violence needed support tomorrow, would they know where to find it?
And would your managers feel confident responding?
For me, that's one of the simplest measures of workplace readiness.
Because safer workplaces do not happen through policy alone.
They happen when people have the confidence, capability and support to respond when it matters most.
At Challenge DV, we often talk about the connection between safer workplaces and safer communities.
I believe that connection starts with recognising that domestic and family violence is not separate from workplace wellbeing.
It's already part of the conversation.
The opportunity now is to ensure we're ready to respond.
Contact Challenge DV
Find out how we can help equip your organisation recognise, respond and refer when DFV shows up at work.
Get a quick training quote or contact me, Lizzy Edwards, Corporate Solutions Manager, to find out how we can work together: lizzy@challengedv.org
Statistics in this article sourced from: McNicol, Emma; Fitz-Gibbon, Kate; Brewer, Sally (2022). From workplace sabotage to embedded supports: examining the impact of domestic and family violence across Australian workplaces. Monash University. Report. https://doi.org/10.26180/21268686.v1
Findings based on a national survey of 3,002 victim-survivors who worked in Australia while experiencing domestic and family violence.
