September 16,
2005
WHEN 24-year-old medical
receptionist Susan Pickering was first confronted by a client who abused and
threatened her, she felt defenceless and alone.
"I was really scared,"
she said. "The man was about six feet tall and he was really violent
towards me. I felt like he could have come around behind my desk and done
anything."
But with more than five similar
cases to speak of in her two years at the clinic, a report shows Ms Pickering's
experience is common.
The report, Safe at Work?
Women's Experience of Violence in the Workplace, released yesterday by the
state Office of Women's Policy, shows 61 per cent of Victorian women have experienced
violence in the workplace in the past five years.
The report, which surveyed 1000
women in several industries, also found a reluctance to report violence. Only
59 per cent of women reported incidents to their employers.
But while many women were quietly
bearing the costs, so were employers. The report revealed more than 11 per cent
of respondents were taking sick leave to deal with the problem while another
3.5 per cent were making WorkCover claims.
This was not a surprise to Slater
& Gordon partner Hayden Stephens. "We are seeing more cases but it is
unclear whether this is because there is actually more violence happening at
work or because victims are more aware of their rights," he said.
Mr Stephens said it paid for
employers to prevent the problem rather than fight it in court because of the
legal avenues open to workers.
"Violence in the workplace
can lead to people seeking a range of legal remedies, including unfair
dismissal claims, discrimination cases, claims under industrial law, and workers
compensation," he said.
Source: The Age: http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/violence-at-work-not-rare-report/2005/09/15/1126750078931.html