Community Corner

Organization Makes the Business Case Against Partner Violence

Employers that become members have access to education materials, posters and more.

Area employers are STANDING FIRM against partner violence with the help of a local organization that provides education, resources and more to make the business case for stronger awareness.

“Nearly 85 percent of women in treatment for addiction have experienced major trauma, often domestic violence,” said Rosa Davis, executive director of . “We at POWER believe that being a member of STANDING FIRM is one way for us to show that we support all efforts to address this important issue.”

Based in Oakland, STANDING FIRM has a mission to get employers to address partner violence as it affects the workplace and workforce to help people realize that it doesn’t just stay in the home.

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Led by Susan Nitzberg of Sewickley and Barbara Penner of Point Breeze, membership for employers is free. Once a member, employers then have access to free materials on the STANDING FIRM website, whether it’s bathroom stall posters about where to get help, educational materials and policy information.

With seven lead employers as members, including UPMC, Pittsburgh Foundation and the City of Pittsburgh, along with 75 others, includng , which has a location at Edgewood Towne Centre, STANDING FIRM is focused on spreading awareness and preventing further incidents.

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“There is strong evidence nationally and statistically that one out of every five workplace violence events is caused by partner violence,” Nitzeberg said. “It’s costing employers because of increased health care costs, increased absenteeism, decreased productivity and we have learned a new term that is called ‘presenteeism,’ which occurs when someone comes to work and they are so distracted, they are really not working.”

Safety and security issues also are at the forefront of partner violence issues coming into the workplace.

“An example that brings it to life is that 90 to 95 percent of people affected by partner violence are women, but when she finally decides to leave the abuse and leave him and goes to stay with her mother, sister or cousin, she still goes to work and he knows where she works,” Nitzberg said. “That is the most vulnerable time in one of these abusive relationships. He gets enraged, gets a gun and goes to where she works. If there isn’t good security, he goes there, shoots her. It has happened. And often, other people are affected or shot as well.”

In the workplace, everyone is at risk, Nitzberg said. STANDING FIRM provides employers a cost calculator as they become members as well, where the percent of female workers, their hourly wages and other factors are considered to give businesses an idea of the money they may be losing because of partner violence issues.

“That is the business case and that is why we talk about that,” Nitzberg said.

The organization helps businesses to take three key steps of action regarding this issue, which oftentimes is not discussed at all. Those include recognize there is a business case, respond and refer.

“Learn what you can say and what you shouldn’t say,” Nitzeberg said.

For example: don’t tell a colleague to stay with you after she leaves her husband because you’d like to protect or help her.

“Don’t try to be a domestic violence counselor,” Nitzberg said. “It’s way too complex with safety and custody issues. What we want you to do is just talk about it in your organization so they know a safe place to go and know where to refer. Know what the resources are in your community.”

In addition to online resources, STANDING FIRM also can give members access to 20-minute online training sessions, domestic violence 101 training in person, presentations and more. Nitzberg said the needs of each employer differ, therefore training and resources can vary for each. Whatever a business needs, they can provide for varied costs depending on the service.

“The goal is to open up the dialogue about partner violence and make it easier for employees to know what to do, either as a victim or a coworker,” Penner said. “And if an organization announces that they joined STANDING FIRM, employees will know the workplace has a sensitivity to that topic and it increases the chance of a worker to go to HR and say, ‘I have some concerns.’ When you say something about it, you can start referring and doing the right thing.”

For more information visit www.standingfirmswpa.org or call 412.337.9514.


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