Supports (th)at work

Effective workplace supports could help to address the high social and economic costs of intimate partner violence (IPV) to individuals, businesses and societies. This paper highlights steps that employers and governments are taking to strengthen workplace approaches to IPV, especially public policy measures across OECD countries to encourage an effective workplace response. Firms are taking action by developing workplace policies on IPV and establishing accompanying processes, building organisational capacity to respond to violence by upskilling staff, connecting workers with support, and offering flexible working arrangements to enable victim-survivors to continue working. Governments, too, are stepping up: several now offer employment protection for people subjected to violence, a right to request flexible working arrangements, guidance for employers in developing workplace supports, and – in limited cases – paid domestic violence leave entitlements for employees.