The National Retail Association (NRA) has called upon the government to boost funding to support the estimated 40,000 Australian retail workers affected by domestic violence each year.
NRA director of legal services Dominque Lamb said that issues pertaining to family violence could contribute to victims being absent from work for up to 18 days per year, costing businesses over $484 million.
“We must reframe this debate by identifying that this is also a workplace issue, so we can create environments in which employees feel they can speak up, and in which the business community is empowered to stand up for them, and send a strong and clear message that abusive and violent behaviour will not be tolerated.
Lamb believes greater education and training around domestic violence could help retailers and businesses to be able to recognise warning signs and foster behavioural changes.
“We are calling for a national approach aimed at educating employees about how this scourge affects the workplace; how to support employees who find themselves in this position; how to address and respond; and how to lead others with swift, decisive and effective action, without exacerbating the problem.
“The implementation of educational programs and policies to manage domestic violence provides direct benefits by increasing productivity and decreasing costs in relation to leave and staff replacement.”
The NRA has estimated that if the issue of domestic violence affecting retail workers is not resolved, the cost of productivity losses and other associated factors could rise to $609 million by 2021-22.
Lamb said that securing funding from the government could result in better outcomes for both victims and businesses operating in the retail sector.
“Change could be as simple as offering flexible working arrangements, special leave options, the possibility of working in another location, or the provision of support information through workplace training and induction.
“Businesses also stand to benefit from improved employee retention and broader reputational benefits with the introduction of human resource policies, leave arrangements and other programs to support victims of domestic violence.”