Preventing and Responding to Family Violence in the Workplace: Chain of Command/Manager’s Guide

Warning

The content in this guide may trigger difficult feelings/emotions and may be difficult for some readers as it includes information around topics such as family violence, sexual assault, stalking, physical violence and identity-based discrimination and harassment.

If at any time you feel that these topics seem familiar or are similar to what you are experiencing, reach out for help by contacting the family violence resources and services in your area or your organizational Employee Assistance Program or CAF member Assistance Program.

Context

The Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention (WHVP) policy manual and DAOD 5014-0 were developed jointly with the National Health and Safety Policy Committee and are based on the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations (SOR/2020-130)) and the Canada Labour Code Part II. These Regulations introduced several amendments to strengthen the existing framework for WHVP which are reflected in the policy manual. This includes sexual harassment and sexual violence, discrimination, as well as family violence.

The framework has three main components:

• Preventing occurrences of workplace harassment and violence
• Responding effectively to these incidents when they do occur
• Supporting the following parties through the resolution process:
  • Principal parties (the DND employee(s) or CAF member(s) who is the object of an occurrence)
  • Responding parties (the person(s) who is alleged to have been responsible for the occurrence and is identified in the Notice of Occurrence)
  • Witnesses,
  • Chain of Command (CoC) /managers.

The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forced (CAF) must protect the health and safety of Defence Team members. Each member has a role to play in preventing workplace harassment and violence, except in circumstances in which exposure to harassment and violence is a normal condition of work (CAF operational requirement). The Defence Team is committed to promoting a workplace that is physically and psychologically safe and free from harassment and violence, including family violence.

Note - an example of a CAF operational requirement is an elevated risk where it is a normal working condition for an adversarial force to harass a CAF infantry section, surveillance aircraft crew, or ship's boarding party. It would not be a normal working condition to have CAF members using slurs towards another CAF member, regardless of the jobsite.

This guide was developed by the WHVP Center of Expertise (CoE) to provide CoC/managers with information and guidance on how to prevent and respond to occurrences of family violence in the workplace.

What is Family Violence?

According to the Defence Terminology Bank (Record number 43067), family violence is defined as "an abuse of power or abusive behaviour within a relationship of family, trust or dependency, or from someone with whom there is an intimate relationship."

Note – "Family violence includes a single act or several acts that form a pattern of abuse, a child's direct or indirect exposure to abusive conduct, coercive conduct, destruction of property, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, harassment, homicide, injury to pets, neglect, and physical assault".

The WHVP policy manual states that "violence, no matter where it takes place, can impact all areas of someone's life including their workplace. Violence can occur in many forms, such as: family violence, gender-based violence, and/or intimate partner violence. No matter how it is defined, family violence can happen to anyone. Family violence can be in any form of relationship, be it: familial, romantic, sexual, caregiving, and even when no formal relationship exists. It can impact anyone regardless of gender, sex, sexuality, ability, race, religion, socio-economic status, rank, region, etc.".

Family violence can extend into the workplace as the responding party uses different forms of harassment and violence to impact the principal party. These can include phone calls, text messages, e-mails, stalking through geolocation/social media, and even showing up to their workplace and questioning the principal party's colleagues or CoC/managers about them. This can impact the safety of all those who are in the workplace, not to mention the principal party's employment and their ability to do their job. However, CoC/managers can learn to recognize the signs of family violence, how to respond to those situations, as well as how to address the impacts of family violence.

The Cycle of Violence

Family violence follows a cycle that includes 4 phases: tension, aggression, justification, and honeymoon.

Text version

Cycle of violence diagram: A diagram with 4 emerald green circles and clockwise arrows. The first circle is Tension, the second is Aggression, the third is Justification and the fourth is Honeymoon.

• Tension

  This phase can build over a few days to a few months. The principal party experiences tension and feelings of uneasiness, constantly cautious about their words and actions. The responding party can create these feelings through looks, silence, ignoring the principal party, etc.

• Aggression

  This is when the act of violence occurs. The act can be physical, sexual, psychological, spiritual, financial, etc.

• Justification

  In this phase, the responding party shifts blame for their actions during the aggression phase onto external factors like work, alcohol, or the principal party. By doing this, they avoid taking responsibility, leaving the principal party confused and more likely to accept these excuses.

• Honeymoon

  This is a moment of calm. The responding party may buy the principal party gifts, pay extra attention to them, make apologies, promise to go to therapy, etc. The principal party regains hope that the relationship will remain like this and that another aggression phase won't occur. This phase can disappear or become shorter as the relationship progresses.

The Types of Violence

Family violence can take various forms, and no type is more or less harmful than another. The principal party may face multiple types of violence at once, and each person's experiences will influence how they are affected. Below are some examples of actions and their possible impacts on the principal party, though this list is not exhaustive.

• Psychological Violence

  • Actions: Devalue, criticize, humiliate, denigrate, ignore, despise, cruelty towards domestic animal, use of spiritual/religious beliefs to denigrate and increase one's control over the other.
  • Consequences/Impact: Isolation, insomnia, nervousness, loss of self-esteem, desire to overachieve/please, fear of the responding party, ambivalence towards leaving the responding party.

• Verbal Violence

  • Actions: Yelling, threatening to hit, insulting, swearing, changing tone of voice, giving orders
  • Consequences/Impact: Fear of expressing oneself, isolation, nervousness, exhaustion, ambivalence towards leaving the responding party.

• Social Violence

  • Actions: Denigrate and insult family/friends, prevent telephone/physical contact with certain people.
  • Consequences/Impact: Isolation, depression, health problems, loss of confidence.

• Financial Violence

  • Actions: Control of the finances or the principal party's salary, deprive or reward monetarily according to mood, refusal to work/contribute to common bills/expenses.
  • Consequences/Impact: Dependence, isolation, feeling devalued, feelings of guilt, loss of confidence.

• Cyber Violence

  • Actions: Using technology to maintain/increase power and control, reading e-mails/text messages, filming without the principal party's knowledge, monitoring the principal party's whereabouts using geolocation features, listening in on private conversations, harassing the principal party by phone calls/text messages/social media.
  • Consequences/Impact: Fear of expressing oneself, isolation, nervousness.

• Sexual Violence

  • Actions: Forced sexual intercourse/touching, biting, intercourse after a violent argument, forcing to watch pornographic material, force unwanted/humiliating sexual practices.
  • Consequences/Impact: Disgust, shame, loss of self-esteem, fear, depression, health problems.

• Physical Violence

  • Actions: Hitting, shoving, pushing, pulling hair, squeezing/twisting the arm, threats with a weapon/object, throwing objects, breaking/smashing.
  • Consequences/Impact: Paralysis, isolation, shame, depression, desire to end it all, wounds, fear, worries about having children taken away.

The Warning Signs of Family Violence in the Workplace

• Signs in the principal party

  • Productivity: Difficulty concentrating, often arrives late, frequent absenteeism, has a loss in productivity, receives frequent calls or emails from the responding party, reacts strongly and/or reluctant to answer calls and text messages.
  • Social Behaviors: Behaves differently, seems withdrawn or isolated, reduces participation in social activities, last minute cancellations, may use drugs and/or alcohol as a coping mechanism, apologizes for or justifies responding party's behaviors.
  • Escalation: Tries to hide bruises or scrapes, receives unexpected visits from the responding party in the workplace, shows nervousness when responding party shows up at work, is followed by the responding party to and from work, shows signs of strangulations, seems agitated or irritated by calls from the responding party.

• Behaviors in the responding party

  • Workplace Incidents: Shows up at the principal party's work and questions colleagues about the principal party (where, with who, when will they come back?), lies to CoC/managers and colleagues about the principal party (sick, travelling, at home with sick child), threatens colleagues, verbally abuses the principal party or their colleagues, destroys the principal party's or organization's property, physically harms the principal party or their colleagues.
  • Controlling and jealous behaviors: Controls the principal party's finances, isolates the principal party from family, friends, and colleagues, threatens to harm the principal party's family, children, property, or pets, threatens the principal party with deportation or arrest by police, threatens the principal party to ask authorities to take away their children, accuses the principal party of infidelity, possibly with a colleague.
  • Incidents before the principal party reports to work: Hides or steals car keys or public transportation access (card, money), hides or steals identity cards, physically coerces or assaults principal party before work.

The Risk Factors of Escalating Violence

Family violence can intensify overtime, particularly when the responding party believes they are losing power and control over the principal party. Several factors can help identify the risk of violence escalating to physical harm (homicide) for the principal party or others, such as children or family members. Some of these risk factors include:

• Increased frequency and severity of violence and controlling behaviour.
• Harassment or behaviours that resemble harassment.
• Lack of remorse and empathy from the responding party.
• A history of breakups and reconciliation.
• Previous serious injuries, attempts of strangulation, sequestration, etc.
• Attempts or successful break-ins to the principal party's home.
• Verbal threats, past or present (homicide, suicide, kidnapping, etc.).
• Separation (imminent or recent) and its implications (ex: custody, house, etc.) – this is particularly high-risk factor, as the responding party may escalate violence to regain control.
• Cohabitation after separation.
• Existing court orders and/or a history of violating those orders (ex: restraining order).
• Presence of a new partner/significant figure in the principal party's life.

This list is not exhaustive but provides an overview of behaviors that may indicate increased risk. If you, as the CoC/manager, observe some or many of these factors, please refer to the resource list at the end of this guide for information about various shelter services. Shelters are trained to assess risk in these situations and typically offer 24/7 crisis lines for assistance and support.

• To learn more about family violence and its impacts on the workplace please consult the references section of this guide.

Confidentiality and its Limitations

For consent to be considered valid or meaningful, it is important to inform individuals about their privacy practices in a comprehensive and understandable manner. If they advise you that they are experiencing family violence in the workplace, decide to submit a Notice of Occurrence or wish to complete the Family Violence Safety Plan, thee following elements should be disclosed:

• Ensure the principal party understands the limitations of confidentiality. Here is an example of how you would approach the conversation:
  • "Everything that we discuss is confidential, however if I believe that there may be a risk of harm to yourself, another, or a child, as required, I will breach our confidentiality and report to the appropriate authorities. Are you OK to continue?"
    • If they respond:
      • yes, then continue
      • no, consider whether they fear for their safety and feel unable to speak openly. If the authorities need to be contacted, the principal party must be made aware of this breach and of the reporting.
• Inform the principal party that the following personal information will be collected during the process of completing the Family Violence Safety Plan or Notice of Occurrence:
  • Name and personal contact information (home address, phone number and email);
  • If there are children involved, their names and ages; and
  • Responding party's name and personal contact information (home address, phone number and email).

The Provincial and territorial child protection legislation and policy web page provides a compilation of policy and legislation drawn from publicly available sources, including information on provincial and territorial child protection legislation and policy. The contents of the site are for information only and should not be considered legal advice.

Steps for Preventing and Responding to Family Violence in the Workplace

The following steps briefly summarize the process CoC/manager should follow when responding to cases of family violence in the workplace. Please be advised that your role as the CoC/manager is to ensure workplace safety. Therefore, it is essential that you refer the principal party experiencing family violence to the appropriate family violence resources where in-depth and long-term support can be provided. Should you require additional guidance please contact the WHVP CoE.

Note- The workplace can include ships, aircraft, vehicles, office spaces, classrooms, garrisons, hangars, messes, dining halls, quarters, gyms, on-base clubs, online forums, and locations for sanctioned events such as holiday gatherings and course parties.

Prevention Measures

• Become familiar with the WHVP policy manual and DAOD-5014 by consulting the WHVP webpage and contacting the WHVP CoE to schedule one or more of our available presentations:
  • Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Webinar;
  • Empathetic Communication Webinar;
  • Family Violence in the Workplace Webinar.
• Ensure that you and your staff have taken the mandatory Training.
• Conduct a WHVP assessment to identify family violence risk factors.
• Become familiar with the warning signs of family violence to pay attention to changes in behavior.
• Ensure family violence support resources are accessible to all Defence Team members, including information pertaining to leave requests.

Responding to a Disclosure of Family Violence in the Workplace

• Step 1: Ensure the principal party's safety

  • In case of telework, verify if the principal party feels safe to discuss the situation and if they are in a place that allows them to have a private conversation. It is preferable to ask closed questions that require "yes" or "no" responses if the principal party is in the presence of the responding party. Use a blocked number to avoid leaving a phone call trace.
  • Assess the urgency of the situation and take appropriate action. If it poses an immediate threat to the health and safety of the principal party, children or other members of the Defence Team, contact local authorities or Military Police if on base.
  • Disclose confidentiality and its limitations. A verbal confidentiality disclaimer is critical and must be done before engaging with the principal party. Ensure that the principal party has agreed, and that the agreement is documented. Should the principal party refuse to continue their disclosure, refer the principal party to the support resources for support.

• Step 2: Provide empathetic and non-judgmental support

  • Offer support and recommendations while respecting the principal party's decision, even if that includes not taking action.
  • Reassure and demonstrate empathy: "I believe you in what you are experiencing and feeling. I will support you. You are not alone". This is essential in building trust. If you require additional tools or guidance, contact the WHVP CoE.
  • In the case the principal party is a CAF member, please refer to Section 5 of DAOD 5044-4, which outlines the steps that the CoC/manager should follow.

• Step 3: Explain your role and establish a safety plan

  • The CoC/manager is encouraged to complete the Individualized Family Violence Safety Plan (also available in PDF format) in collaboration with the principal party and any other individual(s) who should be involved given the circumstances and types of measures to be implemented (i.e.: security desk).
  • Refer the principal party to the support resources for additional support family violence.
  • A monthly revision of the safety plan should be conducted to ensure its efficacy and adapt it to possible new circumstances. The act of a revision also creates a safe space to discuss the situation.

• Step 4: Verify

  • If there is a risk of harm to the principal party or to a child, report to local authorities or Military police and inform the principal party that the situation is being reported. In the event where children are involved, certain provincial/territorial laws may apply.
  • If a case of family violence occurs in the workplace or during work-related activities, ask the principal party if they wish to submit a Notice of Occurrence. If they do not wish to submit one, conduct a WHVP assessment and put in place mitigation measures. You can also seek support from the WHVP CoE.
  • If the responding party is also a Defence Team member, action the following measures with the responding party:
    • Offer support and guidance without judgment;
    • Explain the WHVP policy manual and DAOD 5014-0 and your preventive role as the CoC/manager;
    • Establish a preventive action plan to ensure that they have access to appropriate resources to address their negative behaviours (consult the WHVP CoE for additional support);

• Step 5: Follow up

  • Regularly follow up to ensure that the responding party is following the established plan and has access to the necessary tools to implement the agreed upon prevention measures.
  • In case of emergency, emergency housing can be provided on base by contacting the Base Commander, the Chaplain services or the Military police.

Support Resources

• CAF Connection/Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services provides a variety of support services for CAF members, their families, and children that address family stress and breakdown and family violence.
• Canadian Forces Member Assistance Program provides free, short-term professional counselling services and crisis services to CAF members and their family members. Access by calling 1-800-268-7708 | (Teletypewriter) 1-800-567-5803 24 hours a day / 365 days a year.
• DAOD-5044-4 gives information on the roles and responsibilities of the CoC as well as resources regarding situations of family violence that occur to CAF members.
• Employee Assistance Program provides mental health support to Defence Team members and immediate family members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Ending Violence Association in Canada does not offer direct services, support or counselling. Please refer to their "getting help" page to access the available resources for principal parties of violence in each province and territory.
• Respect in the CAF interactive mobile application provides support and guidance if you are a principal party of sexual misconduct, a bystander, or someone in a position of leadership or the chain of command.
• Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre (SMSRC) provides 24/7 helplines support services to people affected by sexual misconduct who are currently serving and former CAF members and chain of command and current public service employees, executives and management in the Department of National Defence.
• SOS Conjugale Violence 1-800-363-9010 is a 24/7 helpline for conjugal/family violence. Additionally, the site provides links to resources and tools in Canada and the rest of the world.
• Workplace harassment and violence prevention program within DND/CAF provides information on how to report an incident of family violence in the workplace, policy and DAOD, and tools and services. You may also consult the WHVP CoE for further support and guidance.

Don't know where to start? Consult the Resource Catalogue (only available on the DWAN).

Leave Resources

• Canada Labour Code Part II Section 206.7 (2) details that 10 days of leave are available for principal party's experiencing family violence or who are parents of a child who is experiencing family violence. Although the code is not accessible through HRMS (PeopleSoft), a leave request under this circumstance can be requested using a GC178 form (the leave code is 655). The time used is then manually tracked by the employer.
• Canadian Forces Leave Policy Manual

References

• About Family Violence. (2024-05-17). The Department of Justice Canada.
• Safety planning: the empowerment power tool. (n.d.). SOS Violence Conjugale.
• Support, training and guides on domestic violence in the workplace. (2021-11-03). Government of Canada.
• The cycle of violence: Aggression, remission, tension. (n.d.). SOS Violence Conjugale.
• Violence and Harassment in the Workplace – Warning Signs. (2024-05-10). Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

Individualized Family Violence Safety Plan template

Instructions

This Individualized Family Violence Safety Plan is a template for CoC/managers to use as a preventive tool with principal parties who have disclosed that they are experiencing family violence that is also impacting their workplace. It should be completed in collaboration with the principal party and with their consent. This plan provides guidelines and considerations to ensure the safety of the principal party and other personnel.

Once completed, the form is considered Protected B. A copy must be accessible to the CoC/manager and the principal party. If the form is provided via email, the email must be encrypted and the "Subject" of email should be changed to an agreed upon title, in the event that the responding party accesses the principal party's emails.

Under "Action Plan" insert the agreed upon actions and measures. The measures are determined on a case-by-case basis. The action plan will allow you to keep record of implemented measures and can be adjusted should the situation evolve. Should you require additional guidance on the use of this form contact the WHVP CoE.

Warning

In accordance with National Defence Security Orders and Directives (NDSOD), the Individualized Family Violence Safety Plan is "Protected B" information once completed.

Completed "Protected B" forms MUST NOT BE SAVED UNENCRYPTED on any network and workstation drive or storage media. "Protected B" forms, when completed, MUST BE ENCRYPTED USING THE DND ISSUED PKI SMARTCARD. Failure to respect this requirement will result in a breach of security and administrative measures shall be applied in accordance with the policy.

Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention for the Defence Team: Individualized Family Violence Safety Plan

Principal party Name: _________________________

CoC/manager Name: __________________________

• Guideline: Physical workplace safety and security

  • Move desk away from entrance and windows.
  • Remove name plate from door.
  • If a restraining order is in place, with the consent of the principal party, share this information with security. Provide security with a photo or description of the responding party as needed. If the restraining order is not respected, contact local authorities.
  • Establish a safe entrance and exit to and from car. Use a buddy system to escort to and from car and choose a parking locations that is near the entrance.
  • Create a code word to ensure safety or availability to discuss confidentially if the principal party is teleworking.
  • Accommodate alternative work arrangements as required (i.e. schedule flexibility, change in start/finish time, relocation of office, etc.).

• Action Plan: Physical workplace safety and security

  • insert agreed upon actions

• Guideline: E-mail, telephone and social networking safety and security

  • Remove name from directories (internet and intranet).
  • Ensure work telephone number is unlisted.
  • Ensure work telephone has caller ID.
  • If principal party has an assistant, request to filter through voice messages and emails.
  • If possible, block responding party's email and phone number.
  • Change email (if possible).
  • Create a code word to ensure safe communications.

• Action Plan: E-mail, telephone and social networking safety and security

  • insert agreed upon actions

• Guideline: Employee/Member leave

  • Establish leave provisions that allow the principal party to deal with legal issues, find housing and/or childcare, and take time to heal. Refer to leave requests.
  • Grant permission for a workplace liaison to call the principal party regularly while on leave.

• Action Plan: Employee/Member leave

  • insert agreed upon actions

• Guideline: Response system for work absences

  • Create a code word to verify safety.
  • Grant permission for CoC/manager to call trusted friend or relative for unexpected absences. Ensure that trusted individual is aware of the situation.

• Action plan: Response system for work absences

  • insert agreed upon actions

  Name and phone number of trusted friend or relative

  Name ______________________________

  Tel. ______________________________

• Guideline: Potential for violence in the workplace

  • Consider which Defence Team members and affiliates should be notified and how will they be notified (i.e.: advising Chain of Command of risk in workplace, advising security and staff if there are concerns that a responding party could show up at a DND/CAF facility).
  • Discuss confidentiality concerns.
  • Assess the workplace for risks to other Defence Team members. For assistance, contact Safety Officer while maintaining confidentiality.

• Action Plan: Potential for violence in the workplace

  • insert agreed upon actions

• Guideline: Safety and security outside the workplace

  • Refer the principal party to appropriate support resources.
  • Gather the Principal party's home address and contact information.
  • Does the responding party have a weapon? If so, what is it and where is it? Is it easily accessible? Advise local authorities, if imminent danger to principal party or if children are involved (discuss confidentiality and its limitations).

• Action plan: Safety and security outside the workplace

  • insert agreed upon actions

• Guideline: Review of individualized safety plan

  • Set up regular meetings with the principal party to review this document and re-assess as needed. Principal party is asked to notify their CoC/manager if safety concerns change or escalate.

• Action plan: Review of individualized safety plan

  • insert agreed upon actions

  _______________________________ ___________________

  Principal party's signature Date

  _______________________________ ___________________

  CoC/Manager's signature Date