Domestic Violence Costs Tennessee Businesses

The economy of Tennessee loses millions of dollars per year due to domestic violence, which directly affects businesses in the form of absenteeism, reduced productivity, health care, lost wages, sick leave, and security costs, says the Tennessee Economic Council on Women. The council's executive director, Lauren Howard, says that the council is trying to get state lawmakers to support domestic violence-prevention programs. The economic impact of domestic violence cannot be underestimated, says Margaret Jane Powers, the council's chairwoman. "It's unreal how much it costs," Powers states. Sometimes the perpetrators of domestic violence seek out their victims in the workplace, she notes. Nationwide, employers lose $36 billion per year due to domestic violence, according to a report from the Palm Springs, Calif.-based Workplace Violence Research Institute. Domestic violence costs the Tennessee healthcare system $32.9 million a year, according to BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.