Employers Step Up Domestic Violence Help

By Ellen Simon, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK - Gloria Holmes-Mason tried to get away from her abusive husband again and again.

She was in the process of divorcing him, but he was still abusing her when she finally got the help she credits with saving her life — at work.

"You don't wake up wanting to get hit," she said. "No one wants that."

Employers are stepping up their efforts to help workers in abusive relationships, doing everything from threat assessments to relocating those in danger.

At Verizon Wireless, a mother worried about her daughter's safety sent an email to executives; the company moved her to another part of the country, said spokeswoman Debra Lewis. Jerry Rossi, senior executive vice president, group president at TJX Cos., said the company has not only moved employees who were in danger, it's worked with state and federal authorities to give them new identities.

Some employers have started programs as part of a company effort, while others launched or intensified intervention efforts after a worker was murdered.

Harman International, an audio and electronics company based in Washington, D.C., started its program in 2001 after 24-year employee Teresa Duran was fatally run over by her ex-husband in the parking lot of her apartment building.

"It was brutal," said Lynn Harman, corporate counsel at the company, who has done legal work with abused women.

With help from the Family Violence Prevention Fund in San Francisco, a nonprofit group, the company developed a policy to help employees in violent relationships and rolled out companywide mandatory training. It emphasizes recognizing when employees are in danger and referring them to an expert who can help.

Lynn Harman, who is the daughter of Sidney Harman, the company's executive chairman and former CEO, says she's been thrilled with the results.

One worker talked to a domestic violence counselor and decided to leave the state for her safety. Another realized her sister, who avoided socializing with the family, was likely being abused. With help, she got out of the relationship.

"I cannot for the life of me understand why every corporation in America doesn't do this," Harman said. "It's inexpensive. It's simple. The sense of well-being employees have knowing their companies care enough to do this is not something you can buy. After every training, we get thank-you notes from employees."

Setting up the program cost $125,000. "Peanuts," she said.

Douglas Leach, coordinator for employer outreach programs at Blue Shield of California Foundation, an independent grant-making agency funded by Blue Shield of California, leads training sessions across the state and emphasizes how abuse can lead to poor work performance. Blue Shield of California reassessed its policies after one of its call center workers was murdered by her husband in 1996.

Leach gives a composite example: The abuse victim has set the alarm for 6:30 a.m., but the abuser has set the clock back, ripped the work clothes, thrown out the packed lunch, siphoned gas from the car, hidden the car keys and put them back after the victim had looked for them for twenty minutes.

Then the victim gets to work and is asked why he or she is late.

Many victims of domestic violence feel economically trapped and are so isolated, work is their only social outlet.

Employers need to know "if they can help victims keep their jobs, they might be saving a life right there," said Leach.

It can also protect the company. Victims have won claims and received damage awards when employers haven't responded appropriately, said Robin Runge, a Washington-D.C. based attorney who has represented victims.

Eleven states allow companies to get protective orders, Runge said.

Twenty-eight states have laws that extend unemployment insurance protection to people who leave their jobs because of domestic violence and eight states have laws that grant leaves to workers who must miss work for reasons relating to abuse. For a summary of state law, see http://legalmomentum.org/legalmomentum/files/employmentrightsguideaugust2007.pdf.

Formal training has led to a skyrocketing increase in the number of calls to Liz Claiborne's domestic violence task force, said Jane Randel, vice president of corporate communications. The company had no calls on the issue in 2002, but since starting formal training in 2003, it's dealt with more than 100 cases.

In one case, corporate security put a worker in a hotel room for a night when she had nowhere else to go. In another, when a retail worker didn't show up for work, her supervisor alerted the company's violence response team. Working with the authorities, they found she was being held hostage by her abuser. The woman credits the company with saving her life, Randel said.

For Holmes-Mason, whose struggle to leave her husband included living in her car and times when she kept the house cold and dark to numb herself, the abuse hurt her job performance. Her husband would harass her at her job in lab processing and technology at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Ill. She started coming to work late, calling in sick a lot.

"My boss said, 'I don't want to write you up, you've been a good worker,'" Holmes-Mason said. "I didn't want to talk about it. She started seeing some of the bruises on me."

Her boss encouraged her to go to a training session on domestic violence at the hospital. She met clinical nurse specialist Sarah Katula, whom she credits with saving her life.

"She didn't make me feel bad for what I was going through," Holmes-Mason said. "She said, 'If you feel the need to go back, you can go back, but I'm always there for you.' I never went back."

That was four years ago.

Katula also connected Holmes-Mason with a local shelter and helped her with practical matters, like writing an outline of what she needed to say in court.

"You can get out," Holmes-Mason said. "My life is so much better. I finally get the normal problems I always wanted, like how to pay the bills."

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Gloria Holmes-Mason, a victim of spousal abuse, is pictured with her arms around Sarah Katula, who helped Gloria escape her abuser.

The Impact of Dressing Too Sexy at Work

By: Tamara Aw, Founder & Director of MEG Staffing

Over the years, I have worked at various places of employment where many of my female counterparts regularly dressed as if they were ready for a night on the town versus a day at the office. While sexy attire is great for shaking it on the dance floor, it is not appropriate in a place of business.

Many females mistakenly believe that the attention they get from dressing sexy on the job will translate into promotions and increased career opportunities. More often than not, the exact opposite occurs and dressing too sexy at work drastically hinders career advancement.

I admit that I once adhered to the "if you've got it, flaunt it" mantra when it came to work attire. During that time, I routinely found myself stuck in low paying jobs that I hated. The career opportunities presented to me were rarely challenging and I would quickly become frustrated and bored. I knew I was smart and capable of much more and could not understand why others did not see it.

It was while working in the Event Services department of the largest convention hotel in DC that I had my "Aha!" moment. During the early part of my tenure there, tight pants, low cut tops, short skirts and sexy pumps were on regular rotation in my office wardrobe. I reveled in the reactions I would receive from my male coworkers, including those in upper management. They would buy me lunches, birthday cards and presents, Christmas gifts and other trinkets. I loved the admiration and special treatment I received. What I did not love was the fact that I was passed over for one opportunity after the other even when I was clearly qualified for the positions. A manager actually laughed dismissively when I mentioned applying for a higher position within the company. I realized that while I received plenty of attention, it was not the kind I needed nor truly desired. It was clear that I was not being taken seriously.

I began comparing myself to the women in the company who commanded respect and achieved career success. The differences between me and them were so glaring that I was shocked I had not noticed earlier. These women were sharp. They oozed classiness. They dressed professionally, spoke professionally, carried themselves professionally, they were what I wanted to become. These were the women I had wrongly assumed were "jealous" of me because of all the attention I garnered. I shamefully realized that they were not jealous, they simply did not believe I was on their level and preferred not to interact with me. It took a lot of soul searching and looking in the mirror, but I realized that if I wanted to change the perception people had of me, I would have to present a more professional and classy image.

Almost immediately after altering my attire and beginning to "dress for success", I noticed a shift in the way I was treated. The responses from my managers and coworkers, both male and female, were instantaneous. Several managers pulled me aside to tell me how much my quality of work had improved. I swear to you that I did not change my working habits at all, but since my outward appearance was more professional, they perceived my work as more professional as well. In meetings, colleagues and managers would literally turn to me and ask my opinion on various matters. I was totally floored...this had never happened before. It was as if everyone suddenly discovered I had a brain.

As the treatment I received continued to improve, a funny thing happened. I began behaving in a more professional manner and expecting more of myself for my life and career. Shortly thereafter I received a raise and a promotion to the Executive Office reporting to the General Manager. I ended up leaving that company several months later in order to begin a new career with a firm that paid me an unbelievable 40% more in salary per year.

A very wise and successful woman, who just happens to be my mother, had this to say when I brought up the topic of how one should dress for work, "you should always dress for the job you want, not the one you have." My story illustrates the truth of her words. I am convinced that had I continued to dress too sexy for work, I would have remained stuck toiling away in low paying dead end jobs.

Read the article below to see what Kate Lorenz, Editor of CareerBuilder.com has to say on the subject.

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Are You Too Sexy For Your Job?

Warning: Too much cleavage can be hazardous to your career.... and there's science to prove it. Dressing sexy can have negative affects at work especially the higher you climb on the ladder, according to a recent University of Lawrence study led by professor Peter Glick. The study found that risqué dress on the job is viewed as inappropriate for those in all positions. Managers who dressed provocatively, however, were perceived less intelligent and less competent, while those in lower level positions (like receptionists) were not. The study also suggests that women who wear racy clothing are perceived as using their sexuality to advance professionally. "Although various media directed toward women... encourage women to emphasize their sex appeal, our results suggest that women in high-status occupations may have to resist this siren call to obtain the respect of their co-workers," Glick concludes. So what can happen if you dress provocatively at work? This past year we saw two high-profile cases involving women who were deemed too sexy for their jobs. Harvard librarian Desiree Goodwin, who holds two advanced degrees from Cornell University, charged that she was passed over for promotion 16 times because of her attire and physical attractiveness. Goodwin claimed the jobs she sought were given to women with less experience and education and that a supervisor told her she was perceived as a "pretty girl" who wore "sexy outfits." Meanwhile, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, Caterina Bonci, a Roman Catholic religion teacher, said she was fired from her job at a state-run school for being too sexy. (The school principal said both parents and teachers complained about her high hemlines and ample décolletage.) "In the 14 years I had this job, I have always been attacked by my female colleagues and the rest of the staff because of my attractiveness," Bonci told the Italian media. "And if you consider that at our parent-teacher meetings it was always the fathers who came to see me, one can see why I have so often been at the center of attention and a target of gossip." Bonci failed to win her job back; Goodwin not only lost her civil case, but also received a bill for Harvard's legal costs. Fair or not, courts around the country are upholding employers' rights to ban "sexy" dressing in the workplace. Just how do the courts define "sexy?" According to Eric Matusewitch, deputy director of the New York City Equal Employment Practices Commission, the courts consider "sexy" attire to be clothing that is particularly revealing and of extreme fit, as well as excessive use of makeup. To those who argue that this discriminates against women, Matusewitch replies, "The code applies equally to both sexes. So, if employers require men to dress conservatively, they can require women to avoid tight, flashy and revealing outfits as well." With the current "skin is in" fashions and the media full of images that suggest provocative dress is acceptable -- even desirable -- in the workplace, how can you make sure you don't cross the line? Here are some guidelines: Skirts: Too little is too much. Skirt lengths should be no more than one hand-width above the knee. Tops: Make sure there is at least one-inch of room between body and fabric and that it is long enough to conceal your midriff. Stomach, breasts, back and shoulders should be covered. Fabric should not be overly sheer and a bra should be worn (with no straps revealed). Dresses: No halter tops or cleavage-baring necklines. Avoid overly snug fits. Again, hemlines should hit no more than one hand-width above the knee. Pants: Shun overly tight or hip-hugger pants that expose the midriff. Stick with neutral colors. Shoes: Heels should be no higher than two inches; toe should be closed. Avoid strappy styles, bright colors and patterns. Hair: Keep your hair sleek and off your face. Avoid the teased, over-processed look. Makeup: Keep it clean and natural. Avoid heavy eyeliner or evening lipsticks. "If you flaunt your figure in a professional setting, colleagues and clients may question your judgment or make unflattering assumptions about your character," warns Susan Roane, lecturer, author and business etiquette expert. "Clothing and appearance are visual shorthand. The point is to be noticed for your business skills, not your short skirts or push-up bra. "If you want a job, dress the part. If you want to show off your body... well, that's what your free time is for." Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.