Large numbers of workers have been victims of intimate partner violence that may affect their work as well as their self-esteem and economic self-sufficiency, says a study submitted to the National Institute of Justice. A survey of employes at three companies with workers in 39 states found that more than 10 percent had been victims in the last year and an additional 19 percent of men and 30 percent of women have been victimized in their lifetimes.
The study, by Carol Reeves and Anne O’Leary-Kelly of the University of Arkansas, found that more than 18 percent of recent victims had experienced some form of intimate partner violence on work premises. “Lifetime” victims were more likely to be late or absent from work than were non-victims. Recent victims “have more difficulty staying engaged in their work” than do non-victims. A little more than half of recent victims disclosed their victimization to someone at work. Intimate partner violence is a “fact of organizational life,” and employers should take more steps to deal with its impact, Reeves and O’Leary-Kelly say.