Western University receives more than $2M to develop workplace domestic violence training

The Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (CREVAWC) at Western University’s Faculty of Education has received $2.088 million to develop training for federally regulated workers to recognize and respond to domestic violence in the workplace.

CREVAWC has partnered with the Canadian Labour Congress and federally regulated employers to implement the training.

Barb MacQuarrie, community director for CREVAWC, says this training will help employees understand that what happens at home doesn’t necessarily have to stay at home.

“There’s been an invisible barrier between work and home for a long time,” said MacQuarrie.

“The training is part of the bigger picture of creating social change where we, as a society, recognize domestic violence comes to work and impacts the workplace.”

Unions and employers will have three different training options: basic suite, supervisor suite and facilitator suite.

The basic suite involves an interactive one-hour format that puts employers and employees in different situations.

Supervisor suite requires three hours of online training to educate supervisors on their obligations in preventing and responding to domestic violence in the workplace.

The facilitator suite is the most extensive program, with seven hours of online training that allow participants to interact with a facilitator in real time.

“I’m hoping to see a shift in conversations about domestic violence. This training will help reduce the stigma of those experiencing domestic violence,” said MacQuarrie.

CREVAWC hopes to expand the training program to provincial jurisdictions as well as internationally once the 30-month pilot has been completed.