Supporting Workers Impacted by Domestic Violence
Supporting Workers Impacted by Domestic Violence
One third of workers in Canada have experienced domestic violence.1
The vast majority (82%) of workers who experienced domestic violence said it negatively affected their work performance. The harmful activities and mental and physical challenges related to domestic violence can have an impact at work for the people who experience violence, perpetrators, and co-workers.²
A note about language
While law enforcement and the justice system use the term “victim,” some people who experience violence prefer the term “survivor.” Some organizations combine the terms and use “victim/survivor” to respect choice and to honour the healing continuum.
In this short video by the Canadian Labour Congress, a woman talks about her experience of domestic violence, which included her husband preventing her from going to work.
Domestic violence is about power and control
Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviour used by one person to gain power and control over another with whom they have or have had an intimate relationship. They can be married, divorced, common law, separated, or dating.
Violence can take many forms, such as name-calling, hitting, pushing, blocking, choking, isolating, stalking, criminal harassment, digital violence, rape, sexual assault, control (emotional, mental, and financial), and manipulation.
Leaving can be complicated
There are many reasons why leaving an abusive relationship can be complicated and may seem impossible. The perpetrator may have threatened to hurt or kill the victim/survivor, their children, or their pet.
She may stay because everyone thinks he’s a “good guy” and she’ll be judged or blamed if she leaves. He may stay because he’s embarrassed to tell people he’s being abused.
Sometimes, the perpetrator or family blame the victim for the violence, or the victims/survivors blame themselves. Family might insist they stay in the relationship or maybe they don’t believe in divorce.
Even after a relationship is over and a person has moved on, harmful activities may continue.
A list of reasons why women stay can be found on the Canadian Women’s Foundation website.
People most affected by domestic violence
Any woman, girl, and gender-diverse person is at risk of domestic violence, no matter their age, what position they hold, how successful they are, or what their background is.
Some individuals, including the following, have a higher risk of experiencing violence due to the additional discrimination and barriers they face3:
- Indigenous women
- women who experience disability
- racialized women
- trans and non-binary people
- women in rural and remote areas
- women who are underhoused or homeless
While the majority of victims/survivors are women or identify as women, men comprise about 20% of all intimate-partner violence (IPV) cases reported to police in Canada and about 20% of IPV homicide victims.4 Indigenous males represent a large proportion (44%) of male victims of intimate partner homicide.5
Domestic violence influences mental and physical health
The mental health consequences of domestic abuse can be severe and can make it even more difficult to leave an abusive relationship.
Domestic violence can harm self-confidence, instil fear, and make it difficult to believe a safer future is possible. Sixty-four per cent of women being abused exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).3
Women with histories of experiencing physical violence have significantly higher incidences of depression. Alcohol consumption can be used as a method of coping or self-medicating.3
Issues with physical health can include chronic pain, disability, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep disorders, and general reductions in life quality.3
Women with disabilities and Deaf women face disproportionately high rates of violence, which puts them at increased risk of traumatic brain injury. Brain injury may also amplify their vulnerability and increase the likelihood of further violence.3
Impacts on the workplace
At work, victims/survivors (V/S) and perpetrators can experience absenteeism, difficulty concentrating, and poorer work performance. Perpetrators often harass their partner at work, for instance via email and texting or by coming to their workplace to harass, stalk, or intimidate them. Perpetrators also use their work time and resources to carry out these harmful activities.2
Co-workers can be affected by their colleague’s absenteeism and workload changes. Their awareness of domestic violence can cause them to feel stress and concern.2
It’s not uncommon for co-workers to become involved and, in some cases, to become targets. Co-workers can be harassed, lied to, and even harmed or threatened by the perpetrator.2
Domestic violence doesn’t stay at home
- 82% said domestic violence negatively affected their work performance (through distraction, tiredness, lateness, interruptions at work from the abuser, poor concentration, and absenteeism)
- 53% experienced violence at or near the workplace
- 38% reported it affected their ability to get to work
- 37% said it negatively impacted their co-workers
- 5% lost their job as a result of domestic violence – 24% for workers who are Indigenous, Black, and people of colour
Source: Canadian Labour Congress and Western University. Can work be safe, when home isn’t? Initial Findings of a Pan-Canadian Survey. 2014.
Economic impacts on women experiencing violence
Many women with a history of domestic violence have a more disrupted work history and earn lower personal incomes. They have to change jobs more frequently and work more often in casual and part time roles than women without experiences of violence.1
Some women do not receive letters of reference, because their workplace only observed the absences, the mistakes, or the partner’s interruptions, not the story behind them.
Finding affordable housing has been an ongoing challenge for women who want to leave abusive relationships, especially if they have children and pets. More women face hidden homelessness, like having to stay with family or friends. Some women find it difficult to secure housing due to coerced debt and poor credit scores.6
Steady, secure employment is an important pathway to leaving a violent relationship. The financial security of employment can help people to escape an abusive relationship, find a home, and retain their quality of life for themselves and their children.
Steady, secure employment is an important pathway to leaving a violent relationship.
What can I do as an employer or co-worker?
Ensure resources are readily available
Post information or links to resources about domestic violence against all genders in your workplace and ensure they’re readily available to staff in an accessible format. Check the Additional Resources section below for some options.
Encourage staff to learn about domestic violence
Nearly 40% of respondents in one study believed they had recognized a person who experienced domestic violence and/or a perpetrator in their workplace, with many recognizing more than one warning sign.2
Provide time at work for staff to read about domestic violence or to attend training to familiarize themselves with the signs of domestic violence and how to respond. The training suggested below under Additional Resources includes options for all staff, staff who respond to workers impacted by domestic violence, and leadership.
Create a domestic violence policy
Develop a policy and a process in case a worker comes forward with information about domestic violence, whether as a V/S, a perpetrator, or a concerned co-worker.
Consider varied employment and life experiences
Workers come with a diverse array of employment journeys and experiences. Consider job seekers who have gaps in their employment or who have worked in part-time or casual jobs.
Workers also come to work with various life circumstances. If a worker’s performance shifts or lowers, ask if they need support. When they leave, consider providing a reference that highlights their strengths.
Most importantly… believe them
One of the most frustrating things for victims/survivors is not being believed.
When a person trusts you with personal information, listen to them. Believe them.
Ask how you can support them. Let them lead and explore what’s best for them.
When a person trusts you with personal information, listen to them. Believe them.
Ressources supplémentaires
Western University’s Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children fournit free resources on its website, including an organizational readiness assessment, a policy builder, training (for all staff, staff responding to domestic violence, and leadership), and a risk screening tool.
Western also offers the Make It Our Business website with many resources for workplaces on domestic violence.
Women’s Shelters Canada fournit information about domestic violence and offers the 90-minute Domestic Violence and Your Workplace training to recognize the signs of domestic violence, feel equipped to support survivors, and learn the legal obligations for a workplace.
ShelterSafe.ca can connect women with a shelter anywhere in Canada. Shelters can offer support, safety planning, and programs, as well as a place to stay. They’re a good place for a woman to start.
Intimate partner violence against men and boys: Information and resources is a Government of Canada website that explains the importance of seeking help for intimate partner violence and how to get that help.
TechSafety.ca offers many toolkits to help people secure their tech and develop digital privacy and safety plans.
Male Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Summary is a Government of Canada article that summarizes research and other information about domestic violence against men in Canada.
Canadian Labour Congress – Domestic violence at work resource centre
Références
- Canadian Labour Congress and Western University. Can work be safe, when home isn’t? Initial Findings of a Pan-Canadian Survey. 2014.
- MacGregor, Jennifer C.D., C. Nadine Wathen and Barbara J. MacQuarrie. 2016. “Domestic Violence in the Canadian Workplace: Are Coworkers Aware?” Safety and Health at Work 7 (3): 244-250. ISSN 2093-7911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2016.01.003.
- Canadian Women’s Foundation. The Facts about Gender-Based Violence. Accessed July 8, 2026.
- Burczycka, Marta and Shana Conroy. 2018. Family violence in Canada: A Statistical profile, 2016. Catalogue no. 85-002-X ISSN 1209-6393. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada.
- Conroy, Shana. 2021. Family Violence in Canada: A statistical profile, 2019. Catalogue no. 85-002-X ISSN 1209-6393. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada.
- Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment. Equitable And Affordable Housing. Accessed July 8, 2026.