Episode 196: Where Partner Violence Meets the Workplace
/“I went back into the house. And that is when I received the worst beating that I have ever received. And two days later I had a job interview at the CBC. And I had a ring of bruises around my neck from his hands...I realised I had to try to cover it up.”
Anna Maria Tremonti on her wedding day
“Even as lately as 2020, at least half [of employers] regarded this as something that would be dealt with by their employee assistance program....reflecting the idea that this isn’t a company’s business.”
Anna Maria today
When longtime Canadian journalist Anna Maria Tremonti was 23, she married a charming guy she met through work. He turned out to be violent, a secret Anna Maria kept from everyone, including her colleagues. This was quite a feat given his attacks would sometimes leave her with visible bruises she’d have to cover up before heading into work.
In this episode she and I talk about her long-ago marriage and the scars it left behind. We discuss the positive role work played in her life, even as she strove to keep any signs of her tumultuous home life hidden.
Anna Maria is the writer and host of the six-part CBC podcast Welcome to Paradise. Since it came out she’s heard from acquaintances and strangers alike saying ‘me too.’
My second guest is Beth Lewis, director of Standing Firm, a Pittsburgh-based organization that trains businesses to spot signs of abuse in their employees, as well as signs that they might have an abuser on staff.
Beth says while some businesses may question what domestic violence has to do with them, think about it: if women (and it is mostly women) on your staff are living through an incredibly stressful situation at home, most will not be doing their best at work. Standing against partner violence and abuse is a big part of health and wellness that many companies currently bypass.
This is a difficult topic and you will hear some descriptions of partner violence in this episode.
You can also read a transcript of the show.
Resources for anyone being abused by their partner:
US: National Domestic Violence hotline 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788
Canada: Assaulted Women’s Helpline 1-866-863-0511, or text #7233
UK: National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0800 2000 247
Australia: National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Counselling Service 1800 737 732