Working safely from home: Policy recommendations to protect victim-survivors of family violence whilst working from home

By Sarah Byrne, Central Queensland University, CSW, 2020

Sarah studies psychology at Central Queensland University. Her policy paper discusses Working Safely from Home: Policy Recommendations to Protect Victim-Survivors of Family Violence Whilst Working from Home.

Executive Summary

One woman is killed by a current or former partner each week in Australia. The COVID19 pandemic has triggered a mass shift to working from home, with little planning to address the heightened risk of family violence during this time. This policy paper proposes two recommendations which are intended to assist organisations in addressing this risk. It is recommended that organisations complete a safety assessment before sending employees to work from home. It is also recommended that safety procedures are implemented for employees to access when they feel at risk whilst working from home. These recommendations intend to assist women to fully participate in the workforce without fear of family violence. It offers wider benefits of preventing organisations from being liable for harm, as well as preventing Australia suffering the economic consequences of family violence whilst working from home.

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