Kenneth McMurray, Chad Anderson, Richard Farley, James Simpson, Charles Lee White Dean Carter and James Calvert. These men are computer analysts, factory workers, technicians, grocery clerks, laborers and police officers. What do they have in common? They entered the worksite of their wives and girlfriends and murdered them at work.

Domestic violence in the workplace is the newest security issue for this millennium. Today’s most effective business leaders are addressing the impact of battered workers to reduce their legal exposure.

Simply put, employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe workplace for their employees. This duty has been created in several federal or state statutes, regulations or case law. Businesses must become familiar with these legal requirements to reduce the impacts of liability for workplace violence. Seven-figure lawsuits are not uncommon. Enormous legal judgments have been entered against employers who have failed to protect its’ employees when domestic violence comes to work.

This epidemic of domestic violence is staggering. Conservative estimates indicate between 3 and 4 million women are physically beaten every year in America, averaging an assault every nine seconds. Because almost half of the workforce in this country is made up of women, a battered woman is most often a working woman. In fact, 70% of domestic violence victims are employed.

What is the likelihood of this happening in your workplace? National statistics tell us the effects of domestic violence in the American workplace are far reaching, indeed. Of battered workers, 74 % were harassed at work by the batterer and 96% of battered workers experience problems at work due to abuse by a partner. Domestic violence becomes a workplace safety issue when a batterer makes threats or comes to the workplace seeking to harm and intimidate his victim. It is not an uncommon event: every year over 60,000 such acts of violence occur against women while they are at work.

In addition to the likelihood of violence spilling over into the workplace, employers often endure a milieu of other negative effects generated by the battered worker’s domestic situation. For example, over 50% of battered workers suffer from tardiness and absenteeism problems. Lost productivity from both the battered worker and her co-workers who indirectly experience the violence is not uncommon. Poor job performance, increased use of sick days, poorer quality control, decreased customer service, employee turnover and costly rehiring or retraining and health insurance premium increases associated with the abuse are also common.

What are business leaders doing about domestic violence in the workplace? Fortunately, there are solutions. Proactive companies are addressing their financial loss through employee education, training their staff to recognize and appropriately respond to domestic violence. Managers and supervisors are taught to implement policies and procedures that address domestic violence as a workplace issue.

Training employees and managers about domestic violence is one of the least expensive forms of insurance available to your business. It will empower you as an employer to deliver solutions that will be effective in alleviating the financial impact of domestic violence on your business as well as reduce or minimize your company’s legal liability should violence erupt in your workplace. Comprehensive training offers staff the tools necessary to properly identify and focus on domestic violence issues before they create an unsafe work environment.