Domestic Violence and the Workplace

Long curly-haired black woman wearing a black mask, white shirt, and striped apron leans over a wooden table to look at a toy airplane while white man wearing a black mask, turquoise shirt, and tan apron holds a toy airplane.

Abuse makes it hard to work

The ‘domestic’ part of domestic violence is misleading. While abuse regularly occurs at home, it impacts all other aspects of a survivor’s life—including work. Survivors of domestic violence lose nearly 8 million days of paid work each year in the U.S. That’s the equivalent of more than 32,000 full-time jobs.

Survivors miss work for many reasons. DV-related injuries can make it difficult to work. Their partners may prevent them from getting to work by hiding their keys, damaging their car, or refusing to give them a ride or bus fare. Leaving an abusive relationship is also time-consuming. Survivors need to take time out of their day to find new housing, meet with an advocate, or navigate the legal system.

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