Phone (08) 8981 0655 and 1800 817 055

Email admin@ntwwc.com.au Web www.ntwwc.com.au

Darwin GPO Box 403 Darwin, NT, 0801 Alice Springs PO Box 664, Alice Springs, NT, 0870

Domestic and Family Violence

The Domestic and Family Violence Work Aware workshop provides employers with the tools to identify and respond to domestic and family violence in the workplace.

New laws and entitlements that relate to domestic and family violence in the workplace are now in place and employers have the responsibility to ensure they comply with these new laws.

Who Business owners, managers, HR personnel and all other employees

How many people Up to 20 participants

Duration 3 hours for a standard session

Where Tailored sessions can be held in your workplace

Public sessions are held at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

Cost Price upon application. Discounts apply for not for profit organisations

Module Topic Outcomes

1 What is domestic and family violence? • Ability to articulate and identify domestic and family violence

2 Domestic and family violence in the workplace

• An understanding of the impact of domestic and family violence on the organisation, the employee effected, their colleagues and managers

• An understanding of the likelihood of employee disclosure and common responses

3 What workplaces can do

• Understand how employment law applies, minimum employee entitlements and employer obligations

• Understand the key required components of a policy including how to negotiate a workplace Safety Plan

• Understand the major issues associated with having a perpetrator of domestic and family violence in your workplace and how you can respond

4 Practice • An ability to appropriately respond to case scenarios presented

Training packages can be tailored to meet the individual needs of each organisation.

Domestic Family Violence Work Aware is part of a national training program delivered by national Working Women’s Centres and is White Ribbon accredited. The training aims to raise awareness and promote best practice responses to domestic and family violence in the workplace.

More information about the national program can be found at www.dvworkaware.org.

Phone (08) 8981 0655 and 1800 817 055

Email admin@ntwwc.com.au Web www.ntwwc.com.au

Darwin GPO Box 403 Darwin, NT, 0801 Alice Springs PO Box 664, Alice Springs, NT, 0870

Domestic and family violence in the workplace

It is very likely that there are employees in your workplace who are experiencing (or perpetrating) domestic and family violence. One in three Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of 151, and nearly two thirds of women who report violence by a current partner are in the paid workforce2. Men are also victims of domestic and family violence, with approximately one in 20 having experienced it since the age of 153. Many of these employees will hide their experiences for fear of losing their job.

Domestic and family violence does not stay at home when a victim comes to work. This can result in:

• lateness • absence • increased leave • health issues • distraction • lack of concentration • underperformance. These factors can affect a workplace’s overall productivity, increasing staff turnover and absenteeism4. Domestic and family violence can also occur within the workplace, via email or phone, or by the perpetrator turning up at the workplace. Domestic and family violence is a major social issue. While workplaces are not the cause of the problem, they can be part of the solution and have a significant role to play. Employers are required to provide a safe workplace for workers, which includes protection against domestic and family violence whilst the worker is at work.

Responding to domestic and family violence

This training package helps employers introduce a domestic and family violence policy and ensures key staff, such as managers and HR personnel, are appropriately trained and know how to manage confidentiality.

Employees now have a range of new entitlements that relate to domestic and family violence such as the right to request flexible working conditions and paid or unpaid leave. Employers must familiarise themselves with these entitlements to ensure they are compliant with the law.

Workplaces also need to know how to plan to ensure their workers are safe at work as required by workplace health and safety legislation. Implementing a strong domestic and family violence strategy can result in significant benefits for employers, including higher retention rates, productivity, staff morale and loyalty, and health outcomes for their employees.

Work Aware

Work Aware provides tailored workplace training packages to support strong, healthy and high performing work environments.

Work Aware is delivered by local staff with more than 20 years’ experience in industrial relations and workplace issues.

We use our specialist knowledge in a range of health and wellbeing areas to help organisations provide a positive and supportive workplace for all staff and management.

Investing in the health and wellbeing of staff leads to better workplace culture, sense of team and performance.

Work Aware hosts private tailored sessions as well as regular sessions open to the general public. Please contact our office to find out what option best suits you or your organisation or visit www.trybooking.com/eventlist/workawareworkshops to see upcoming public sessions.

1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2017), Personal Safety, Australia, 2016, ABS cat. no. 4906.0. Canberra: ABS. 2 Expert Report of Ludo McFerran (2015), Fair Work Commission 4 Yearly Review of Modern Awards. 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013), Personal Safety, Australia 2012, Cat. No. 4906.0.Canberra: ABS. 4 Ludo McFerran (2011), Key Findings, Safe at Home Safe at Work?, National Domestic Violence and the Workplace Survey, University of NSW, NSW.