Version: 1.2
Adopted: 02 June 2022

1. Purpose

Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) is a prevalent issue that impacts many members of society, often unreported and unrecognised by those around victims. The impact of this violence is not limited to the individual’s personal life but can extend to the work place environment

Nexus Polytech recognises that staff, contractors, employees, and clients may be victims and/or survivors, as perpetrators of this abuse do not discriminate based on sex, gender, sexuality, age, relationship status, roles, or other factors.

We have a commitment to ensuring the health, safety and well-being of all of our employees, staff, and partners. This policy outlines our how we endeavour to support employees, staff and partners affected by DFV.

Key to this policy is ensuring that they are able to receive the support they need and to facilitate their continued participation in work activities in a safe and supportive manor.

The purposes and aims of this policy are to:

• promote a respectful and safe workplace environment with no tolerance of DFV
• support the retention, safety and well-being of staff affected by DFV or supporting people affected by DFV
• ensure organisation culture to prevent DFV and promote respectful relationships for staff within their professional and personal lives
• outline the responsibilities of staff at various roles in ensuring other employees are safe from DFV and can obtain support
• outline the ways a staff member can seek assistance if a victim of DFV

This policy works in conjunction with other policies and practices that support staff and ensure a safe and healthy work place for all.

2. Scope

This policy applies all employees, including contractors, partners, agency temporary staff, work experience and industry placements, trainees and volunteers.

3. Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

3.1 Domestic and Family Violence shall mean
any actions or behaviour, in a personal relationship (intimate or familial) which is physically, verbally, emotionally, psychological, or financially abusive, threatening, violent (sexually or otherwise), coercive, controlling, causes a person to live in fear, or limit a person’s freedom to think and act.

3.2 Familial relationship shall include:

• a person related to one another through blood
• a person related to one another through marriage or de facto partnerships (current or previous)
• a married, de facto, opposite or same sex partner (current or previous)
• biological, adoptive, foster and step child relationships
• an ex-partner
• a parent, or partner’s (or ex-partner’s) parent
• a brother, or partner’s (or ex-partner’s) brother
• a sister, or partner’s (or ex-partner’s) sister
• a grandchild, or partner’s (or ex-partner’s) grandchild
• a grandparent, or partner’s (or ex-partner’s) grandparent

3.3 Intimate relationship shall mean
a person or people who are or have been in an intimate partnership whether or not the relationship involves or has involved a sexual relationship.

4. Roles and Responsibilities

All people have a role to play in the prevention of DFV, and providing support for victims and survivors. The level or responsibility will depend on the role the person has within the organisation.

4.1 Employees and Staff will:

• Observe and listen to people they interact with during their work duties
• Be a model of company values and act in a way that ensures and promotes a work environment free from any form of violence
• Actively participate in DFV related learning and development activities when they are conducted
• Main the confidences of and sensitively communicate with colleagues affected by DFV
• Ensure colleagues affected by DFV are aware of this policy and the support available to them
• Encourage colleagues affected by DFV to seek assistance
• Confidentially report any actions, communication, or changes in behaviour that explicitly, implicitly, or assumptively indicate a colleague is affected by DFV

4.2 Leaders, Managers, and Supervisors will:

• Encourage staff to actively participate in DFV related learning and development activities
• Ensure staff affected by DFV can access persons and resources that can help them and provide support
• Manage and report any domestic violence arising in the workplace
• Sensitively and confidentially communicate with staff affected or impacted by DFV
• Take swift and appropriate steps to address any reports of staff affected by DFV
• Ensure appropriate support is provided to staff affected by DFV
• Explore the use of alternate work arrangements for staff affected by DFV and apply when appropriate
• Attentively and continuously monitor the work performance of staff affected by DFV, and informing their immediate supervisor of any attendance and/or participation issues

4.3 Directors and Senior leadership will:

• Ensure appropriate training, learning, and development activities on DFV is conducted within the organisation
• Provide resources and facilities for the implementation of this policy
• Implement an organisation culture of no tolerance for DFV
• Provide resources the organisation to support staff affected by DFV
• Regularly review and update this policy to better ensure the health and safety of all

5. Procedures

5.1 Disclosure and maintaining confidentiality

It is important to maintain at all times the confidentiality of the person affected by DFV and anyone who may have notified management about a person being a victim of or being affected by DFV.

Managers must as soon as possible disclose to their immediate manager any request for support by staff affected by DFV, or any incidents of DFV in the workplace.

5.2 Supporting staff affected by DFV

The immediate priority in assisting any staff affected by DFV is to ensure that all efforts are made that the affected staff can receive the appropriate help and support to ensure their health, safety and wellbeing.

Best efforts must be made by managers and team leaders to ensure that staff affected by DFV can continue to participate in work in a way that does not agitate their circumstances and ensures their health and safety at all times.

Managers need to explore the use of alternate work arrangements for staff affected by DFV and apply when appropriate, such as WFH, remote work, split days, and other options that are appropriate and do not impact the staff member.

Managers are required to attentively and continuously monitor the work performance, attendance, and participation of any staff affected by DFV, and inform their immediate manager of any changes or issues.

5.3 Prevention of DFV and raising awareness

It is imperative that all staff take steps to ensure the prevention of DFV both within the workplace and in the personal lives of staff.

Training and educational exercises on identifying, managing, reporting, and preventing DFV will be undertaken from time to time, and all staff must actively participate.

A culture of no tolerance for DFV must be maintained at all times within the organisation, and all staff must use best efforts to ensure this no tolerance is maintained.

6. Support and Resources

Further information for those seeking support in relation to DFV or information to provide to someone else should contact:

1800 RESPECT
Phone: 1800 737 732
Web: https://www.1800respect.org.au/

Beyond Blue
Phone: 1300 22 4636
Web: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

Lifeline
Phone: 13 11 14
Web: http://www.lifeline.org.au/

Mensline Australia
Phone: 1300 789 978
Web: http://www.mensline.org.au/

Kids Help Line
Phone: 1800 551 800
Web: http://www.kidshelpline.com.au/

Elder Abuse Help Line
Phone: 1800 353 374
Web: https://www.eapu.com.au/helpline

Legal Aid (for each State)
Web: https://www.nationallegalaid.org/contact/

13YARN
Phone: 13 92 76
Web: https://www.13yarn.org.au/

QLife
Phone: 1800 184 527
Web: https://qlife.org.au/

NSW Government Domestic Violence Line
Phone: 1800 656 463
Web: http://www.domesticviolence.nsw.gov.au

NSW Victims Services
Phone: 1800 633 063
Web: www.victimsservices.justice.nsw.gov.au

Women’s Legal Services NSW
Phone: 1800 019 123
Web: https://www.wlsnsw.org.au/