8.3 Billion Annual Business Buster

I noticed bruises on my coworker’s arms, the ones I had hidden years ago. The bruises my coworkers and people at church saw but ignored. I knew the price of their silence, a silence I would break to let my coworker know that she was not alone.

One out of every three women you see at work, the grocery store, or at your church service experience the devastation of abuse at least once in their life in the United States. However, abuse and domestic violence are the least talked about, addressed, and resolved subjects in the secular and Christian workplace.

This pandemic devastates every sector of business and destroys financial stability for victims and businesses. How costly is abuse to business? According to this Forbes article written December 5, 2013, “It is the most common cause of injury for women ages 18 to 44. And it leads to an increased incidence of chronic disease: Abused women are 70 percent more likely to have heart disease, 80 percent more likely to experience a stroke and 60 percent more likely to develop asthma.

Nearly a quarter of employed women report that domestic violence has affected their work performance at some point in their lives. Each year, an estimated 8 million days of paid work is lost in the U.S. because of domestic violence.

Domestic violence costs $8.3 billion in expenses annually: a combination of higher medical costs ($5.8 billion) and lost productivity ($2.5 billion).”

What are these numbers now? You will have a hard time finding any formal national extensive study since 2013 which should alarm you because we all know these numbers have risen. Abuse cannot be turned off in your mind at work, especially when 73% of abused women are harassed by their abuser at work. Between their harassment at work and the abuse they receive at home, 21 to 60% of abused women lose their jobs stemming from abuse. The loss of her job continues to complicate her ability to walk away from her abusive relationship because now she is financially dependent on her abuser. Financial abuse or the abuser controlling the money to keep control over the victim and children happens in 98% of abusive relationships. Financial abuse is one of the leading reasons why women believe they are stuck in their abusive relationships.

Ignoring abuse and domestic violence will keep costing your business because it is devastating one of your greatest assets, your employees. Employers have a unique opportunity to provide a safe and supportive environment for abused women to build immunity against the effects of abuse. Employers can strengthen their business while they empower their abused employees with resources and skill training to help them establish a secure career and financial future. Their safety, support, and financial stability equip and strengthens them to leave their abusive relationships and break the cycle of abuse in their families.

The company’s investment increases the efficiency of these employees and the profits of the company while cutting the expenses of lost days due to mental and physical health abuse and training new employees. Facing this pandemic head on is the only way to begin the process of stopping your business from continually losing billions every year. The changes and results you make internally in your business will take time. The same is true for the victims to move to the healed side of abuse. Your business and your employees will all need time to move through your process of healing, but the payoff for everyone is a jackpot.

It’s time to make a united stand and pool our resources and strength to eliminate abuse and domestic violence. There is a special call for Christian owned and operated businesses to reach out to the abused hurting employee in their business and become the good Samaritan. Join me today by following me.  https://www.facebook.com/DarlaColinetSpeaker/