Domestic and family violence (DFV) is rarely an overnight issue. Its impact ripples across a person’s life, and can affect mental and physical health, relationships, housing stability, and confidence. It can also significantly disrupt a person’s ability to attend work reliably and engage fully in their career. While immediate crisis support is crucial to get people to safety and save lives, the longer-term recovery phase is also very important.
DFV is cyclical. On average, it takes someone seven to eight attempts to permanently leave a domestic violence situation. Recovery isn’t something that happens in isolation – people often need trauma-informed, specialist support to rebuild their lives and break the cycle of violence. Without ongoing support, the consequences can extend for years, affecting not only the individual but also their families, communities, and workplaces.
The cost of DFV to Australian workplaces is significant. Studies estimate that the annual cost to employers due to absenteeism, reduced productivity, and turnover runs into the hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars, while the overall economic burden of DFV in Australia exceeds AUD $20 billion each year. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that production losses alone account for approximately AUD $1.9 billion annually. These figures highlight that DFV isn’t just a social issue—it’s a workplace and economic issue too. (AIHW, 2015–16)
It is for these reasons that recovery support must be embedded in workplace DFV policies and services. Yet recovery support is often overlooked in favour of crisis interventions. This is why WorkHaven created the Verdella program, an online, scalable, trauma-informed recovery program, which can be deployed easily and discreetly by workplaces and specialist services. Verdella was co-designed by DFV experts, academics, specialist services, employers, and victim survivors to ensure it is relevant, meaningful, and accessible to those who need it.
Workplaces can integrate Verdella into their DFV support offerings, policies, and communications. By doing so, employers not only provide critical support to employees navigating the aftermath of domestic violence but also help maintain workforce stability, productivity, and engagement. This approach recognises that recovery is a journey, and workplaces have a role in walking alongside employees through it.
Providing access to recovery programs like Verdella demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being, social responsibility, and practical support that goes beyond crisis intervention. It is an investment in people, productivity, and the broader culture of care in the workplace. By supporting long-term recovery, workplaces help employees regain confidence, reconnect with their communities, and ultimately, return to work and thrive.
Domestic violence recovery support is not optional – it is essential. The more workplaces embed comprehensive, trauma-informed recovery solutions into their DFV policies, the less disruption and cost to the workplace, more lives are supported, cycles of violence are broken, and the broader social and economic costs of domestic violence are reduced.
For more information, please visit verdella.com.au
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