Some estimates are even higher. Women are about six times more likely than men to experience violence committed by an intimate. At work, women are also more likely than men to be attacked by an intimate, whereas men are more likely to be attacked by a stranger. Each year nearly one million individuals become victims of violent crime while working or on duty. When an employee is the target of attack in the workplace by an intimate, other employees may also be placed at risk.
Homicide is by far the most frequent manner in which women workers are fatally injured at work.
3 Domestic Violence Doesn't Just Affect a Woman Outside of Work Domestic violence can interfere with a woman's ability to get, perform, or keep a job. One small pilot study of employed battered women found that almost three-quarters reported being harassed by their abusive partners in person or by telephone while at work and more than half reported missing three days of work each month because of abuse. Sometimes the abuser actually prevents the victim from working outside the home at all. What Employers Can Do Many employers are unaware that domestic violence affects their employees' job performance or don't know how to help them effectively. Others are aware of the problem, but don't feel that business should play a role in addressing it.