7 years ago, I knew nothing about Domestic and Family Violence (DFV). In fact, I knew so little about the topic that I didn’t realise I was living in a DFV situation until one brave bystander stepped in, enabled my realisation and supported my pathway out. This courageous act fundamentally changed my life.
After leaving my situation, I was lucky enough to be supported by Brisbane Domestic Violence Service and I will always be grateful to this incredible team of people. They made my home safe and provided counselling support to help me understand what had happened. I was very proud when they invited me to become an advocate to share my story, raise awareness and contribute to consultations for change. This role also gave me the opportunity to learn from experts and start to build my understanding of DFV beyond the lens of my own experience.
Sadly, the impacts of my DFV rippled beyond the breakdown of my relationship and I experienced aftershocks in every element of my life. One major casualty was my work. My workplace didn’t understand DFV or its impacts. There were no provisions or support in place, if anything they made my situation worse, and so 4 weeks after leaving my home, I also left my job and my career fell off a cliff face. I had lost my income, I was socially isolated, my confidence vanished and, like many others who have walked away from a DFV situation, I felt like I was starting life again from ground zero.
Eventually, after moving house, going through court proceedings and delving into some deep reflection, I took stock of my situation, cleared my path and I started to recover. As I incrementally rebuilt each aspect of my life, I looked in the rear-view mirror and realised how things would have been so very different if my workplace had leant in with support and understanding. With the confidence of having financial security coupled with much-needed moral support, I would have navigated through and beyond the domestic violence more smoothly and swiftly, and my life wouldn’t have fallen over to the extent it did. These realisations were the seeds that have fuelled my passion for change. The vehicle of that passion is WorkHaven.
WorkHaven launched two years ago after three years of planning. Our focus is to equip workplaces with the knowledge, skills and resources to address Domestic and Family Violence in meaningful and effective ways. We take an action-orientated approach and everything we do starts with the question “Will this reduce the impact and incidence of DFV?”.
We have worked with some incredible organisations across the corporate, government and community sectors. Our clients are from diverse industries and locations with a vast span of organisational cultures, and each is committed to playing their part in preventing Domestic and Family Violence through awareness, empowerment and action. I am so proud to work with each of these organisations – they are beacons of hope with an appetite for positive change.
And this is just the beginning! We are so happy to see more and more leaders understanding the crucial role workplaces play in ending Domestic and Family Violence through awareness, understanding and delivering much-needed support to people who are impacted. Every day we speak with people who are ready to step forwards and take action.
Since establishing WorkHaven, we have been recognised broadly for our work, and it is terrific to gain this positive feedback. And in this vein, last week something lovely happened – LinkedIn publicised their inaugural list of Top Voices in Social Impact…and I was on the list – LinkedIn Top Voices in Social Impact: The 15 creators to follow in Australia and New Zealand | LinkedIn
Wowzers! What a wonderful and unexpected surprise! Getting outside validation is always lovely and I am very grateful to LinkedIn for this recognition. But this is more than that to me. It is a symbol of my deep belief that people (like me) who have been impacted by DFV can rebuild, move forwards and feel fulfilled and happy. It may not happen overnight, and we need the right supports around us, but it can and will happen if we take positive steps in the right direction.
Each one of us has a part to play, whether that is leaning in to support someone, developing a relevant and meaningful workplace approach or having the courage to step forward and seek support.
I probably don’t say it often enough but THANK YOU to everyone who has walked with WorkHaven, given us opportunities and been kind, open and compassionate. We are all a team, and together as that team we can make a difference to understand, address and overcome Domestic and Family Violence.
If you have read this article and feel ready to develop, review or enhance your workplace’s approach to Domestic and Family Violence or learn more, please get in touch via [email protected]
Recent Comments