Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-03-30
Source: The Conversation – France (in French)– By Séverine Lemière, Associate Professor in Management Science, University Paris Cité
The consequences of domestic violence not stopping at the door of companies, some of them have integrated these into their diversity, equality and inclusion policy. Overview of the tools offered by some CAC 40 firms.
Among the victims of domestic violence, many are employed. When they go to work, they leave their home and their abuser. Given this reality, the professional environment can serve as a space for protection, resources, and socialization. Consequently, it can also become a full-fledged actor in the fight against domestic violence.
Domestic violence enters the workplace
In every organization, there are inevitably people confronted with domestic violence. This violence has significant repercussions on theprofessional life. They can lead to delays, repeated absences, decreased concentration, chronic fatigue, or a decline in the quality of work. Relationships with colleagues or management may also deteriorate because the victim is in a state of psychological, emotional, or physical exhaustion. Furthermore, the victim is at risk of being perceived as aless reliable colleague.
The attacker can continue his holdeven at the workplace with incessant messages or calls, threats or assaults at or near the workplace. In other words, violence within the home can weaken theprofessional careerof the victim. The violent partner may try to limit the victim’s engagement, prefer that she stays at home, discourage her from pursuing training or accepting relocations, encourage her to reduce her working hours or even to quit her job.
Also to read:
Women executives, the forgotten victims of domestic violence
Systemic violence
The Istanbul Conventionreminds that violence against women is not a matter of simple private conflicts, but constitutes the expression of a system where domination, discrimination, and gender stereotypes create a favorable ground for control and violence. This violence is both the cause and consequence of inequalities between women and men. It is rooted in imbalanced power relations and, in turn, contributes to limiting women’s personal, economic, and professional autonomy.
For an organization, not integrating this subject into its equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy amounts to ignoring a significant and invisible obstacle to real equality. In recent years, several major groups (including Kering, L’Oréal, BNP Paribas, Carrefour, SNCF, and EDF) have committed to collective initiatives such as the networkOneInThreeWomen, created in 2018, which encourages employers to include addressing domestic violence in their diversity and inclusion strategy.
Good practices
Several organizations, in France and internationally, have already integrated the fight against domestic violence into their commitments regarding equality between women and men. Here are some courses of action based on these experiences.
Large companies have launched internal awareness campaigns (postings, specific newsletters, podcasts…) to raise awareness of the scale of the problem and the resources available. Some training targets managers, HR staff, social services, or occupational health services, in order to better identify warning signs and respond appropriately. On its side,Keringhas chosen to gradually raise awareness among all its employees, from the shop salesperson to the members of the executive committee, relying on specialized associations.
BNP Paribas, with its social action center within HR, integrates domestic violence into the support offered to employees in difficulty. This type of internal service helps break the victim’s isolation by providing listening, advice, and referral to specialized associations.
“Maintaining employment is an absolute priority,” declaresBNP Paribas, which can for example offer a victim a change of geographical location if their safety requires it. AtEDF, social services are also at the heart of systems aimed at victims of domestic violence, and can facilitate requests for support measures such as temporary housing or financial assistance.
Some companies have chosen to grant paid days off; for example, three paid days off at La Poste to carry out the necessary démarches (filing a complaint, medical appointments, rehousing, etc.). Besides leave, work time flexibility can also be crucial: schedule adjustments to allow the person to have time for the steps related to the violence.
A support ecosystem
Often, victims do not know where to turn for help, while companies, on their side, do not always have the necessary expertise. This is why some groups establish partnerships with specialized associations to direct the concerned employees towards trained professionals and offer interventions, training, or awareness workshops. By joining forces with the associative network, employers contribute to creating a support ecosystem around the victim.
Some partnerships go further, as is the case betweenEDFand the associationFIT A woman, a roof, with the implementation of action research and the co-construction of tools adapted to the realities of the field and enriched by associative expertise, which allows both the company and the association to mutually enhance their skills.
Formalize the commitment and guarantee new rights
Some companies include their commitment in their HR policies with the signing of a charter – whether it is internal to the company or between companies, for example the charterOneInThreeWomen.
Other companies have chosen to integrate domestic violence into collective agreements relating to professional equality between women and men, as some have donepioneering companies, such as Orange, EDF, SNCF, Korian, La Poste, Carrefour, Legrand. These commitments negotiated with the social partners guarantee new rights and allocated resources; they reflect the shared vision between management and unions regarding the recognition of the professional consequences of domestic violence and the role of the professional environment in supporting the victims.
Considering domestic violence as a standalone subject of equality, diversity, and inclusion policies constitutes a major cultural evolution in the world of work.
This implies recognizing that domestic violence is not only a matter of the personal or social sphere, but also an organizational issue. It is therefore a new managerial challenge, in continuity with commitments to gender equality between women and men, which must allow, in partnership with public policies to combat violence and feminist associations specializing in victim support, the creation of an environment conducive to overcoming violence.
Séverine Lemière is a member of the association FIT une femme un toit. She conducts action-research with EDF.
Olga Lelebina does not work for, advise, hold shares in, or receive funds from any organization that could benefit from this article, and has declared no affiliation other than her research institution.
–ref. Addressing domestic violence, a challenge for companies –https://theconversation.com/accounting-for-domestic-violence-a-challenge-for-businesses-276715