The Business of Me - Working To Solve Domestic Violence Issues In The Workplace

Picture this - a well-dressed woman, a Wall Street executive, is working in her office. She is going about her day busy with meetings, talking to clients on the phone and responding to her mail. But this day, a day that began as any other ordinary day, didn't turn out to be ordinary at all. You see, that woman had recently left her abusive husband and was concerned that he would come to her office to harass her. She had informed building security and a picture of her husband was given to the security guards so that if he should appear he would not be allowed to enter the building. Well he did show up in the building lobby that day and wouldn't leave until the security guards called the police.

This woman never called the police during her 20 year marriage because she was more afraid of the retribution that would be exacted if the police took him away and later released him.

This is a successful executive working for a Fortune 500 company who had lived in fear for the twenty years of her marriage - and had never told anyone what she was going through until she finally left him.

This woman was me. I was one of millions of women who work in companies across the country who silently endure domestic violence and never say a word.

My "dark days" are long behind me and I have gone on to not only live a life independent of spousal abuse but to thrive.

When it was time for me to give back I wrote a program called "The Business of Me" to help survivors get out and stay out of abusive relationships.  The Business of Me changes women's lives by leading them to focus on - and plan for - their future.

The Business of Me forms what becomes a tightly-knit group of women who support one another throughout the program and well into the future. We call this "The Board of Directors" and it is supported by The Business of Me's SOCED system - a secure social networking technology that enables daily interaction amongst the group's members, the program moderator and The Business of Me personnel.

During six weekly 2-hour sessions the women are guided to deal with fear and destructive thinking and develop new ways of envisioning their lives; and they learn how to identify new opportunities in any aspect of their lives and how to think about pursuing and perfecting them.

The statistics are well known - at least 25% of all women will be victims of abuse during their lifetimes. A growing number of CEOs are saying it is time for corporate America to confront the issue head-on.  In fact according to an article in the November 2008 edition of Fortune Magazine (http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/18/news/Domestic_violence_morris.fortune/index.htm ) those same CEOs say domestic violence threatens workplace safety and, as an HR issue is more volatile and potentially more dangerous than drug addiction or alcoholism. 

Domestic violence is not just a social problem - it abuses the bottom line of every corporation. Every company suffers from lost productivity, increased turnover and retraining costs, increased medical insurance costs, increased overall medical costs, increased security risks and legal liability. More, domestic violence affects morale and the overall well-being of companies as other employees fear for their own safety. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), domestic violence costs $8.3 billion annually. This includes medical care, mental health services and lost productivity.

The Business of Me helps corporations create a unique Corporate-Community partnership that helps women free themselves from the debilitating and costly effects of domestic violence. This helps corporations reduce costs; it empowers the corporation and the communities that these companies serve while increasing profits.

We do this by matching corporations with shelters and women's organizations in their community. The women in need in the corporations are informed of the program through flyers, placards, newsletters and other communications all prepared by The Business of Me. Not only do the women get the benefits of The Business of Me but are also offered a full range of services available to them at the shelters and women's organizations hosting the program.

The women from the corporation join already sheltered women and are formed into groups of up to 15 who then participate in a three phase program conducted by the shelter and The Business of Me personnel - thus creating a partnership that benefits the corporation and the community.

A corporation's investment in The Business of Me is an investment in the business of the corporation - it's about what's good for the corporation, its employees and their communities.

Then there's the human element - every corporation that provides The Business of Me as an EAP program positively impacts the lives of women in their organization. Those women, their employees, become more productive. Helping them end the abuse that has plagued their lives means less direct and indirect costs for the company and the employee - and they help make their community a better place to live!