State employment protection statutes for victims of domestic violence: public policy's response to domestic violence as an employment matter.
Evidence indicates that domestic violence has negative consequences on victims' employment; yet employers lag in recognizing this as a workplace issue. To address the problem, some states have established several policy solutions. To understand the scope of the public sector's response to domestic violence as a workplace issue, a content analysis of state-level employment protection policies for domestic violence victims (N = 369) was conducted. Results indicate three broad policy categories: (a) policies that offer work leave for victims; (b) policies that aim to reduce employment discrimination of domestic violence victims; and (c) policies that aim to increase awareness and safety in the workplace. Subcategories emerged within each of these three categories. Implementation of employment protection policies varies significantly across states. Implications for workplaces, practitioners, and policy leaders are discussed.
College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40507, USA. jswanberg@uky.edu
Jennifer E
JE
Swanberg
Mamta U
MU
Ojha
Caroline
C
Macke
D018585:Battered Women / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D011640:Public Policy; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods*; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology