[Insert name of company] (The Company) recognizes that family or domestic violence enters the workplace and affects the safety of victims and co-workers. It causes lost productivity, increased health care costs, increased absenteeism and increased employee turnover.

It is the Company’s policy that each of our workers has the right to work in an environment free of violence. Every worker has the right to get help (through the employee assistance program) with issues of violence, even when it is happening outside the workplace.

Violence, as defined in this policy, means a pattern of coercion or harm one person uses to hurt or intimidate another through the use of physical force, verbal harassment and/or manipulation to maintain power and control over the victim.

A variety of methods will be used to promote family violence prevention and workplace safety, including:

EMPLOYEE AWARENESS

• We will distribute a statement that expresses our opposition to all acts of violence, including family violence, to all our workers, supervisors and managers.
• We will post copies of the family violence policy, information posters and other media prominently in areas accessible to workers, customers and suppliers.
• We will provide information to all employees about services available to help deal with any workplace or family violence issues.

WORKPLACE SAFETY

• We will help eliminate the potential for violence in and around the worksite by reviewing our workplace environment and minimizing, where possible, physical situations that may expose our workers to violence.
• We will provide reasonable means to talk to and help victimized workers create and implement a workplace safety plan.
• We will enforce all known court orders, including those instructing an abuser to stay away from the workplace.
• We will have an emergency security plan, including procedures for contacting the police when workers observe anyone engaging in threatening behaviour.
• We will explore options for voluntary relocation of the victimized worker, escort for entry and exit of the building, and dealing with harassing telephone, e-mail and/or faxes.

SUPPORTIVE AND NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES

• We will take reasonable measures to develop policies, practices and measures that deal with worker absenteeism, productivity, safety and requirements for support and counselling related to family violence.
• We will ensure that our policies and practices do not discriminate against workers experiencing family violence and we will be responsive to their needs as victims.
• We will not base staffing decisions on any assumption about or knowledge of a worker’s exposure to family violence.

TRAINING

• We will make regular training on family violence and its impact on the workplace available for all managers, supervisors, human resources and security staff.
• We will train staff on the signs of family violence, its impact on the workplace, how to make appropriate referrals, the importance of maintaining confidentiality and how individual responses and safety plans can be developed.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR POLICY

• We will ensure that all managers and supervisors follow the policy and distribute copies to all workers.
• Workers with questions or complaints about family violence affecting workplace behaviour that fall under this policy may discuss them with [insert name of appropriate person, such as their supervisor, the HR director, etc.]. Concerns will be addressed appropriately.

We believe that the Company has a role to play in preventing family violence and building a safer society.

OTHER RESOURCES

Manitoba Family Services & Labour
Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence