Domestic Violence and the Role of the Employer

The realities of domestic violence in Canada may come as a shock to those who have not encountered it, but the facts cannot be ignored. In April 2014, the Canadian Women’s Foundation reported that, on any given night, 3,300 women are forced out of their homes and end up sleeping in emergency shelters to escape domestic violence. In addition, a recent pan-Canadian survey by researchers at Western University found that 33.6 per cent of employees had been the victims of domestic violence from an intimate partner.

In the fall of 2014, The Conference Board of Canada surveyed members of its Leadership and Human Resources Research Executive Networks to better understand how Canadian employers are addressing domestic violence issues. Based on this survey, this briefing summarizes recent research in this area, the prevalence of domestic violence at work, and the supports available to employees if they experience domestic violence.