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The Family Violence Prevention Fund (The Fund) (415-252-8900) reports as follows: Businesses and government workplaces are increasingly realizing that domestic violence exacts a heavy toll. The impact is felt in increased health care costs reduced productivity, higher rates of absenteeism and turnover, and a greater risk of workplace violence, which can in turn generate legal liability. A recent study by the National Institute of Justice estimates that domestic violence accounts for almost 15 percent of total crime costs --$67 billion per year. Employers pay a large share of these costs, primarily through higher health insurance bills. The fact that 99 percent of American women work for pay at some point in their lives means most battered women are working women. For many, work is no sanctuary because stalking, threats and violence follows them on the job. Each week the news media carry reports of women killed at work by abusive husbands or boyfriends. The U. S. Justice Department estimates that in 60,000 incidents of on-the-job violence each year, the victims know their attackers intimately. Medical expenses due to battering total more than $10 million annually (American Medical Society.) Skip Reeder, Erlanger Medical Center CEO, recently expressed his concerns in a conference on violence and indicates that domestic violence is having an incredibly negative impact on Erlanger's bottom line. It is becoming more difficult to cover the cost of treatment as businesses and insurors eye spiraling costs for health care benefits. When victims have coverage, battering injuries run up the cost of benefits for business. (Boatwright 1995) Stalking is commonly found at the workplace. Fifty-four stalking cases and 322 telephoned or written threats were reported to Chattanooga police in 1996. (Chattanooga Times, April 1997) The rate so far in 1997 is even higher for both stalking and cases of threats. It is probable that many of these incidents occurred at work. One company lost a prime location when the building was demolished after a particularly gruesome murder occurred on its premises in a stalking case. Domestic violence also affects the workplace in less tangible ways. If a women is afraid of her partner, she is less able to concentrate on her work performance. Absenteeism may become a significant problem if she is embarrassed to show her battered face. Other employees may spend time gossiping or sympathizing with the victim. A frightening possibility is one of potential violence for many if the batterer takes the victim hostage which can endanger many others in the workplace.
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