Does domestic violence affect productivity at workplace?

Reasons given include being physically injured or restrained, partners failing to care for children.

Domestic violence may directly hit productivity at the workplace, with one in five victims experiencing continued harassment from their partners.

It takes the form of abusive phone calls and e-mails, and the perpetrators accompanying their partners and spouses physically to work.

The study, conducted by University of New South Wales (UNSW), showed that such violence affects the victim's performance, productivity and safety. They feel distracted, tired or unwell, needing to take time off, or being late for work.

Reasons given include being physically injured or restrained, keys being hidden and partners failing to care for children.

Nearly a third of the 3,600 respondents had personally experienced domestic violence, with half of those reporting that the violence prevented them from getting to work, according to an UNSW statement.

The majority of respondents were women (81 percent), two-thirds were in full-time employment and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) were over 45.

"Having a job and staying economically independent is critical to surviving a violent relationship," said the UNSW's Ludo McFerran. "Our goal is to reduce the impact of domestic violence by supporting the victims to stay safely in their homes and in their jobs."