C-Suite Buy-In is Critical to Workplace IPV Programs

Want to know how to save roughly 5% of your total payroll?

The answer lies in building a trauma- and violence-informed (TVI) workplace program for intimate partner violence (IPV). And we need C-Suite buy-in to make that happen.

Over the past 15 days, I’ve shared practical steps employers can take to prevent, identify, and respond to IPV. Today’s post is for senior leaders: this is not just a moral issue—it’s a material business risk hiding in plain sight.

If you've missed any part of this series, you can go back to Day 1 here.

What the evidence tells us

• 6.5–10.3% of employees are currently experiencing IPV.

• 11.8% of employees report knowingly working with someone who has been abusive toward a partner.

• 24% of survivors report losing their jobs because of IPV (based on current or most recent employment).

• 26% of people causing harm report job loss linked to IPV-related performance and behaviour issues (primarily reflecting current or very recent employment).

• Replacing an employee routinely costs 50–200% of annual salary, with some estimates as high as 400%.

Modeling these conservatively, organizations may be losing around 5% of total annual payroll, just from IPV-related turnover.

And this figure does not include additional costs, such as:

• Absenteeism and presenteeism

• Workplace accidents and near misses

• Disability claims

• Legal and reputational risk

These hidden costs already exist in your organization—you just don’t see them labeled.

How a TVI workplace IPV program helps

A trauma- and violence-informed program does more than respond to harm. It:

• Catches risk upstream, for both survivors and those causing harm

• Reduces turnover and replacement costs

• Minimizes absenteeism, presenteeism, and workplace incidents

• Strengthens trust and organizational culture

But all of this is only possible when the C-suite treats IPV as a material operational risk, not just an HR issue.

Final tip: C-suite buy-in is essential to the success of your IPV program

Effective IPV programs require a whole-of-organization approach. That means:

• Senior executives must recognize the financial and human impact of IPV.

• Leadership must commit resources, support interdisciplinary teams, and invest in prevention and intervention strategies.

• Organizations must treat IPV like any other operational risk, embedding it into policy, safety planning, and corporate culture.

Without executive buy-in, even the best-designed program risks being under-resourced, under-utilized, or ineffective.

Why today matters

Today marks the end of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and Human Rights Day.

There is no stronger way to demonstrate leadership on human rights at work than by ending the silence around IPV.

When your C-suite leads the way, your workplace can:

• Reduce the hidden costs of IPV

• Protect employees from harm

• Build a culture of trust, safety, and accountability

Next steps

If you’ve been following the series, you now have a roadmap for creating a comprehensive workplace IPV program.

Start by asking:

• Does our executive team understand IPV as a material business risk?

• Are resources allocated to prevention, risk assessment, safety planning, and staff support?

• Are we embedding a trauma- and violence-informed approach across the organization?

Leadership and investment are the final piece of the puzzle. Without them, upstream interventions and systemic impact aren’t possible.

If you're curious about implementing an effective IPV program in your workplace, please reach out. I'd love to speak with you.