Domestic violence continues to touch countless lives across Australia, and more than ever companies are taking the lead in providing education and protection for those affected.

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – also known as White Ribbon Day. Across Australia, events are being held to raise awareness and host pledge signings in which members of sporting clubs, unions, councils and businesses commit to ending domestic violence.

As we’ve reported this year, companies are increasingly manning the front line when it comes to dealing with domestic violence. From an employer’s perspective, the numbers say it all: one in three women will experience physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by someone they know. This means the likelihood of a workplace employing a current, former or potential perpetrator and one or more victims of domestic violence is extremely high.

One of the ways businesses can help better manage issues of domestic violence in the workplace is to become a White Ribbon accredited business. The process, which is internationally recognised and supported by a network of experts nationally who share HR policy and best practice resources, engenders a whole organisation’s commitment to stop violence against women, meeting 15 criteria under three standards to create a safer and more respectful workplace. 

One of the many organisations that has achieved accreditation this year was the Blacktown City Council. I asked the Mayor of Blacktown City Council, Councillor Stephen Bali, about the process and the impact he has seen so far.

Why get involved?

For Blacktown City Council, the imperative to join the program was born out of a recognition of the dire situation within their community.

“We’re very aware that the Blacktown city area has a high rate of domestic violence,” he tells me. It was also part of a concerted effort to show leadership. “We decided it was time to do something about it, set an example and encourage the community to follow suit,” he says.

What do businesses need to do to get involved?

The accreditation process, which runs for approximately 18 months, requires businesses to make a number of changes including the provision of leave to staff experiencing violence, codes of conduct, support services and staff training. Building on existing gender equality and diversity initiatives, the process provides the tools to strengthen a culture of respect and gender equality at all levels of the organisation.

For Bali, the accreditation process was an opportunity for the Council to improve and amend their HR practices to better reflect the community’s needs.

“We’ve done things like introduce domestic violence leave and increasing the counselling level,” he explains. “If someone is in a position of domestic abuse we do things to help them like anonymous phone calls, untraced phone lines and other protection measures.”

What are effects for the business and the wider community?

For Bali, the impacts on both a company and community level are tangible, and he’s encouraged by what he sees as the flow-on effect of the organisation’s commitment.

“The best sign of that for us was that we asked our employees to take part in events and the roll-out was huge. Last year we got about 800 people to turn up in a public space to form a white ribbon. We’ve been a leading voice in the community – and other workplaces are following suit. For example, Bradnam Windows and Doors is signing the White Ribbon pledge today; it’s a large employer of a mostly male workforce in Blacktown.

“We recognise that our employees might face domestic violence and family violence, and this might affect their attendance or performance at work. We encourage businesses to put in an HR structure that allows for that and works around it.”

Within the organisation, there’s also been a culture-shift.

“We’ve found that there’s been a real change in morale in our staff. We’ve had people at our events feel confident to come forward and share their experiences. We’ve also had internal feedback that employees feel safe and more secure in saying, ‘I’ve got this situation going on – can I get help?’”

It’s a process that CEO of White Ribbon Australia, Libby Davies, sees as crucial to dealing with domestic violence in the workplace.

“Disclosing an experience of violence to supervisors can be traumatic for victims and an unhelpful response significantly reduces the likelihood a person will disclose again. It can also be a stressful time for bosses receiving the news,” she says. “Training is critical to safely intervening, whether it be by calling out staff who are displaying disrespectful behaviours or recognising the signs of abuse and getting help for staff.”

This year has seen the number of employers that have attained White Ribbon Workplace accreditation increase to 65, including those in traditionally male industries such as mining and construction. Organisations already accredited include Telstra, the Australian Army, The Department of the Treasury (Australian Government) and Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships.

Connect with others in your community today on social media at @whiteribbonday, #whiteribbonday, #Amansissuetoo.

To find out more about the White Ribbon Workplace Accreditation Program, click here.