Domestic and dating violence creates safety issues in the workplace, leads to billions of dollars in health-related and lost productivity costs, and affects workplace performance, according to Melanie Fields, an assistant district attorney for East Baton Rouge Parish and the special prosecutor for domestic violence.
In a speech today to the Baton Rouge Rotary Club, Fields cited numerous statistics to back up her assertion that domestic and dating violence is a problem that not only affects victims and their families but one that directly impacts employers and their bottom lines.
“Domestic and dating violence affect our safety, and it costs us money,” Fields said. “You are losing money, that is why you should care. Domestic and dating violence is your business.”
Costs associated with domestic and dating violence total more than $70 billion a year in the U.S., Fields said, including $4.8 billion in medical and mental health costs and $1 billion in lost productivity.
The problem is also more widespread than many believe, she said. More than 20% of full-time employees in the U.S. are victims of domestic and dating violence. Together, they lose some 8 million days of paid work.
“And while our health care funding in Louisiana is being cut by the Legislature, these costs aren’t being cut,” she said. “They’re not going down.”
Fields says it’s important for businesses to be aware of the problem and to have a set of policies and procedures in place for dealing both with victims and potential perpetrators of domestic and dating violence. Companies should have a “go to” person in place who is trained to look for warning signs and knows what to say—and what not to say—if a situation arises or abuse is suspected.
The East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office has become much more aggressive about ferreting out and prosecuting domestic and dating violence under DA Hillar Moore III, and Fields says one reason incident reports have increased is because the office has become more proactive.
It’s a priority for her office, she said, and should be in every office.
“If you see something, say something,” she said.
—Stephanie Riegel
