Workplace responses to Family and Sexual Violence in PNG: Measuring the Business Case

This report presents the results of research among employees at three major companies in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The research aimed to discover whether there are benefits to staff and businesses when companies respond to family and sexual violence by implementing policies, procedures and training.

Surveys and interviews with employees completed in November 2020 found that family and sexual violence:

• Impacts people of all genders in the workplace, at all levels of seniority in different ways.
• Costs companies around 10 days in lost time per employee per year, which equates to over PGK 7.3 million (USD 2.1 million) per year for the participating companies.
• Is commonly perpetrated by family members and other people in the household as well as current and former intimate partners.

Survey participants affected by family and sexual violence most commonly received workplace support through paid time off, counselling and referral to Bel isi PNG case management.

There are early signs that measures recently introduced by the three companies, such as a team of staff trained to support colleagues and a subscription to a support service (Bel isi PNG) are making positive differences. The impact was stronger for companies with a gender balanced workforce.

» Staff who experienced family and sexual violence in the 12 months before the survey were more likely to say that their company could help them compared with staff who experienced violence more than 12 months ago.

» Staff reported that positive things happened after telling a human resources officer, trained staff member or manager about the violence compared with when they told a co-worker or an employee who was not trained to handle their disclosure.

» Employees who faced violence in the 12 months prior to the survey were more likely to receive paid time off, counselling and a referral to a relevant service compared with staff who experienced violence more than 12 months ago.

Companies in PNG and elsewhere can support staff affected by family and sexual violence, potentially improve workplace productivity, and improve community attitudes regarding violence by implementing policies, procedures and training to effectively respond to family and sexual violence.