Did you know that a vast majority of sexual assault survivors will miss work or school because of their victimization (NSVRC, 2013)? Rape comes at a cost, both personally and financially. According to the NSVRC (2013): “In 2008, total victimization costs of each rape were about $151,423 (DeLisi et al., 2010). Lifetime income loss due to sexual violence in adolescence has been estimated to be $241,600 (MacMillan, 2000).”
Time lost from work or access to education is often due to disruptive, traumatic responses, lack of safety, or inability to fully engage. Survivors experience a work “tax” of nearly a quarter million dollars. Additionally, some types of work may get more likely that you will be exposed to sexually violent behavior. People working in service and hospitality industries, migrant farm workers, and many others experience significantly higher rates of sexual assault compared with the general population of workers (NSVRC, 2013).
With these staggering statistics in mind, we want to dedicate our second week of SARCCITUDE to safe employers. In case you have missed our month of gratitude-dedicated posts, you can check out past years or last week here . The good news is that we’ve had many examples of employers who work to proactively set safe environments before an employee experiences violence. These local employers also tend to be responsive and supportive when violence has occurred within or outside of the workplace. They take the time and dedicate the resources to setting up supportive response after employees have disclosed experiencing sexual violence.
Before violence:
Employers have an incredible amount of power to set the tone and the culture for a violence-free workplace. Beginning by setting policies and procedures in writing and sharing them widely throughout the organization makes a big difference in setting the stage. Having established policies and procedures against workplace violence, bullying, or disruptive behavior, sexual harassment, or discriminatory harassment of any kind represent just a few examples of the ways that employers can use policies to set the tone. In addition to having a policy and a procedure in place, establishing opportunities for training and routine discussion about these policies and procedures and expectations within the workplace help to send the clear message that violence in the workplace will not be tolerated.
After a disclosure of violence:
If an employer notices that violent behavior or harassing behavior has taken place in their workplace environment, or if an employee or a bystander report concerns about harassing or violent behavior, the employer can take quick and decisive action to respond. Documenting the concerns through an incident report and providing a safe and supportive environment to interview the alleged victim, alleged perpetrator, and any bystanders in separate and secure discussions will help with documentation of the incident.
When meeting with a survivor of workplace violence, providing access to no-cost sexual assault response and support services in the local community will help take some of the emotional support an employee may need off of the employer and get them connected with confidential supportive services at the same time. This will allow the employer to dedicate their time and resources to adjusting work schedules, conducting impartial interviews, and gathering information and resources related to reporting the crime or connecting with insurance companies.
As an employer, you have a legal, ethical, and social responsibility to promote a safe working environment and provide a timely and complete response to any reports of workplace violence.
After violence:
Since sexual assault and abuse are so common, providing opportunities for paid leave or access to no-cost sexual assault services, safety planning on site where appropriate, and connections to employee resources through an Employee Assistance Program may be helpful. Referring the employee to the policy to help define any concerns about a coworker’s or client’s behavior can also be helpful. When making notes about alleged workplace violent behavior, smart employers will document times, dates, observers, and specifics about the incident.
Employers should also be aware that if survivors need access to any legal or court related services, such as reporting to the police, attending hearings or trial preparation, or pursuing a protection order through the civil legal system, many of these things can only happen during the typical working day. Allowing opportunities for employees to be flexible with their schedules and providing access to these supports and services may help to promote safety for employees.
Employers do not need to navigate this process of setting a culture of workplace is free from violence on their own. SARCC prevention staff provide trainings on sexual harassment, workplace violence, mandated, reporting, and general one oh one information on sexual assault, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. Requesting a program will help you to provide access to quality and informed information for employees and may help you to check some boxes related to your legal obligations as an employer.
Contact info@ sarccheals.org to request a program or more information on what is available. If you happen to be an employer who is meeting with an employee who may benefit from no-cost sexual assault services, you can contact the SARCC hotline at 570–628–2965 or 717–272–530824 hours to connect with a sexual assault advocate.
