Staff file photo by Skip Lawrence Helga West

West, a resident of Frederick County and president and CEO of Witness Justice, survived the brutal attack.

Her career did not.

Like many victims, the trauma affected her not only physically, but psychologically. She lost her job, turned to alcohol to escape the pain, faced depression and contemplated suicide.

It was because of her experiences that West formed Witness Justice in 2002 to give support to survivors of violence. Last year, her organization was awarded a two-year contract from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women, to develop three online training programs to address the problems faced by domestic violence survivors and service providers.

The organization will work with the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence on the program.

The program will focus on understanding trauma and creating services, responding to undocumented survivors and cultural competency.

Unnoticed problem

West is far from alone in the kind of repercussions she suffered from her violent experience.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, decreased productivity due to violence-related trauma costs businesses $64.4 billion a year, on top of the $5.6 billion in medical expenses.

“It is something not addressed at the federal level,” said West, whose organization works to help victims of violence.

“It’s not on the radar of most human relations officials. It has gone unnoticed until now,” she said.

Witness Justice took a poll this fall of more than 300 survivors of violence and found that 81 percent have difficulty focusing on their work; 60 percent have difficulty connecting with colleagues; 59 percent experience a lack of interest in work; 52 percent have trouble connecting with their boss; and 49 percent have difficulty performing their job.

“We’re trying to look at the gaps at the workplace for people who are survivors,” West said.

Losing a career is like losing a personal identity, West said, “and that is traumatic.”

Survivors can struggle to focus on work or turn to substance abuse, and may end up being fired or leave the job, she said.

There are some training programs for human resource officials on violence in the workplace, but not on the aftermath.

Employers may notice presenteeism — where employees come to work, but don’t really do well — or changes in mood or behavior.

“I just hope employers will understand the problem,” West said. Help can be simple, she said. An employee who is mugged in a parking lot fears going to or from work.

“It could be as simple as making sure the person doesn’t go to their car alone, maybe a security guard to go with them. Or they can have flextime so they can leave when it is still daylight,” West said.

It can be subtle things to make victims feel better, she said, without putting them out of sync with the rest of the workplace. “Sometimes a little thing can go a long way,” West said. “Those little things can make a difference in our lives.”

An economic impact, too

As well as the human side of the issue, abuse makes a difference to businesses economically.

“Employers who recognize the problem and do something about it can retain the person, retain that talent,” West said.

An employer can lose an experienced worker, then has to train new personnel, all the while losing productivity. This can be especially hard on small businesses.

Helping employees who have suffered violence builds loyalty in the workplace. It shows the community that employers are doing something positive about the problem.

“There are some general things we can suggest,” West said. “Sitting down with the human resources manager, seeking counseling. The employer could allow time for the person to attend counseling.”

Still early

West said her efforts are still in the early stages. She hopes that the U.S. Department of Labor and other federal agencies will look at the issue.

In the Witness Justice survey, 79 percent of the victims said they would like to see employers educate staff on the impact of trauma and to foster support; 78 percent said employers should be more understanding; 73 percent favored greater flexibility in work schedules; 71 percent said employers should allow time off for employees facing trauma, and 52 percent said continued employment should be guaranteed.

Copies of the survey have been sent to every member of Congress, she said.

“The survey results demonstrate the prevalence of the problem and provide a framework to begin to address it,” she said. “We need to learn more about this issue, the varied lines of communication between employer and employee, the legal considerations and workplace practices to develop guidelines that will better support survivors and minimize the impact on the employer’s bottom line.”