Domestic violence costing the EU €16 billion annually

Renee Liaviera, chairperson of the Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations (MCWO) revealed these statistics at a seminar “The Impact of Domestic Violence on your Business” organised by The Commission of Domestic Violence, which aimed at providing employers with information on how domestic violence can have negative effects on business, and the best measures to counteract them.

Laiviera said there was a real need to educate employers on the subject of domestic violence in Malta. "There are already employers that support domestic violence suffers however there are many people who are suffering domestic violence who give other excuses for being absent from work."

The project aims to have a positive impact on the employability on the vulnerable groups.

According to research conducted by The Commission on Domestic Violence 23%, or 1 in 4 women in Malta have experienced emotionally abusive behaviour, with only half of these women seeking help. 26% reported domestic violence to the police, 16% consulted a lawyer, 14%, a priest, 12% visited a hospital, 12% used the services of Agenzija Appogg and 10% used social services.

Laiviera said domestic violence refers to any acts of violence, even if only verbal, perpetrated by a household member upon another and includes any omission, which causes physical or moral harm and includes family members living in the same household, or even where a couple have been separated or where the couple is not yet married.

The law, she said, needs to be reviewed to include couples who are cohabiting without the intention of getting married. “Though these people are in a domestic situation, they are not protected by the law.”

Out of the people who have experienced domestic violence, 14% were forced to work by their partners against their will, while 4% were stopped from seeking employment, in an effort to keep the women financially dependent on their spouses.  

4% registered an inability to concentrate affecting their productivity at work while 2% reported loss of confidence that caused them to leave their place of work.

Laiviera said that an employer may not be aware of the situation and penalise the sufferer for low productivity, rather than offering support. “A domestic violence sufferer may use more sick leave than normal, be absent from work as a result of court cases, changes in schools for the children and disruption of family life, show lower productivity than normal, disrupt team work and cause security issues for the company, especially if a partner comes to the place of work to cause trouble for the employee.”

Firing a person whose productivity is low as a result of domestic violence will incur costs for the company including loss of experience, loss of training, cost of replacement, Laiviera said. “It pays the employer to help the person overcome problems and return to productivity, while also enhancing the company’s corporate social responsibility image.”

Laiviera recommended that each company put in place a workplace policy on domestic violence.

“It is important that the company ensures an environment free from violence or threats of violence from other employees, management or clients.”

Under the policy, all individuals are expected to conduct themselves in a non-violent and non-physically threatening or intimidating manner. Employees should be encouraged to be alert to and inform appropriate management personnel .

Even a single behaviour that even appears to constitute assault, battery, intimidation, threats, attempts of destruction should be dealt with in accordance with the law. It needs to be made clear that disciplinary action will be taken against people showing violence at the workplace.

The company reserves the right to report such violations to appropriate authorities or to notify agencies offering support systems. They should also have the right to intervene where a situation of violence appears to become likely. Timely notification will help eliminate risks of workplace violence.

The company needs to be supportive to people suffering from domestic violence and encourage them to seek outside help, from a lawyer or support services, to increase the productivity of these people.  

Maronia Avellino, a specialist on special case employment at ETC highlighted the support services and programmes offered by ETC to employers when recruiting domestic violence survivors. People suffering from domestic violence, as referred to by Appogg, are treated as social cases and are offered training and support, including work exposure schemes where the minimum wage is subsidised by ETC for the worker to gain the necessary skills to be employed, as well as training courses in a variety of fields given free if charge. ETC also provide subsidised child care at €1.50 per hour while the parent is at training.

Bridging the gap scheme – a work exposure scheme to help workers get back into the workplace. 80% of the minimum wage is paid by the ETC, so that workers gain the skills required to do the job.

Chairperson of the Commission for Domestic Violence, Joanna Xuereb concluded the seminar stressing the importance of offering employment  to domestic violence survivors.

The Commission  was set up in 2006 to advise the minister of social policy with regards to the fight against domestic violence. Also to give support to victims, provide training for professionals, conduct research and to raise awareness on domestic violence. 

Domestic violence research has been conducted in Malta to anaylse the prevalence of domestic violence.

Chairperson of the Commission on Domestic Violence, Neilo Mulvaney, said that within the workplace domestic violence has not been given enough importance. “Rather than dismissing the worker, the business needs to be more sensitive and offer support to these workers and aid them to seek help. A policy on domestic violence may make it easier for suffers to come forward and confront their problems”.