Domestic Violence Awareness Month

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United Family Services
601 East Fifth Street, Suite 400
Charlotte NC 28202
Phone: 704.332.9034
Fax: 704.373.1604 info@ufsclt.org


Domestic Violence Awareness Month

The “Brutal” Truth about Domestic Violence

The country’s high unemployment rates and increased financial instability have put a strain on many American families. Experts say the growing financial tensions have contributed to a jump in the number of domestic violence cases.

Nationally, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women ages 15 to 44 and one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. The National Institute of Justice says that as many of 70% of those assaults go unreported.

Domestic violence also affects the workplace and contributes to $100 million in lost wages, sick leave, absenteeism and non productivity. Amanda Wilson, Director of Victim Services Strategic Operations for United Family Services, said it is critical for business owners and Human Resources professionals to learn how to handle domestic violence issues in the workplace because some of their employees might be threatened by abuse at home.

“One of the major weapons batterers use against their partners is to threaten the security of their employment,” Wilson said. “By providing assistance to staff who are in abusive situations, organizations are not only doing the right thing but also protecting their most valuable assets, their employees.”

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Women’s Summit will host an interactive workshop called, “Domestic Violence: It Hurts Employees and the Bottom Line, Too” on October 27 at the Hilton Charlotte Center City.

“HR professionals and individuals are responsible for developing and implementing HR policies for companies and organizations of all sizes,” said Lisa M. Yarrow, Program Director for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Women’s Summit.

Yarrow said the goal of the workshop is to increase awareness of the prevalence and signs of domestic violence, provide information that will help improve employee retention, loyalty, and productivity while reducing the risk and liability resulting from domestic violence incidents occurring in the workplace.

Children and Family Services Center Human Resources Director Suzanne Shonkwiler, who plans to attend the event, said she encourages other organizations to be proactive and enforce a domestic violence policy as a precautionary step.

“Implementing a domestic violence policy gives the employees some safeguard and security in knowing that their workplace has a policy in place,” said Shonkwiler, who added that CFSC is undergoing a review of its own 16-page domestic violence policy. “Without community acknowledgement of this crisis, social change will continue to be slow,” Wilson said. “It is everyone’s responsibility to speak out against violence and make it socially unacceptable to exert power over others through violence.”

Event: “Domestic Violence: It Hurts Employees and the Bottom Line, Too.”

When: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday, October 27, 2009.

Where: Hilton Charlotte Center City, 222 E. Third Street, Charlotte.

Workshop Topics:
“Domestic Violence 101: What’s Your DV IQ?”
United Family Services’ co-directors of Victim Services, Amanda Wilson and Kelly Forney, will share information on the reasons why victims stay in abusive relationships, signs of domestic violence, how to help a victim of domestic violence, the process of obtaining an emergency protective order and how to work through the judicial system.

“What’s Your Company’s DV IQ?”
Center for Global Health Associate Director Nancy Glass, PhD, MPH, will share a presentation on a new web-based workplace health promotion intervention targeting supervisors in smaller service organizations. Attendees will learn how to improve the safety, health and employment outcomes for abused women.

“No DV Policy? That’s Risky Business – For Your Employees and Your Bottom Line.”
Peace@Work Founder Johnny Lee will take an actual case of workplace rampage that started with the murder of a co-worker and ultimately held a city hostage. Attendees will work in small groups to analyze the warning signs as if they were a Threat Assessment Team prior to the assault to determine the level of severity and what security measures to initiate.

Lunch Keynote Speaker Jerry Fountain, President of Verizon Wireless Carolinas/Tennessee Division.

Details: Tickets are $75 per person. For more information, call 704-644-5599 or visit www.womenssummit.uncc.edu.