“Our responsibility is to detect violence against women in the workplace, but also at home,” said the president of the National Association of HR Directors.

How should employers deal with violence within the company? The National Association HR (ANDRH) launches Thursday, October 19, a guide to good practices entitled “Violence against women. What role for HR and the managers?“Audrey Richard, president of theANDRHdetails the main points on franceinfo.

franceinfo : THE The fact that you are publishing this guide today, does that mean that this violence exists within the company itself?

Audrey Richard: This violence exists in the company. We are confronted as HR managers, as companies with this problem, but they also exist in personal life. Today, the question arises as to what the role of the company is on these subjects, on these two facets of this subject which seems important to us.

What are the best practices to have? What does it start with?

For a long time, the association questioned whether we should deal with violence in the domestic environment. With this guide that we are releasing tomorrow and this work that has been carried out with the NGO Femmes France, we are really positioning ourselves on the subject. We mixed our specialist and field forces to provide an answer to the question: qeu should we do in terms prevention, in terms of reception and concrete actions?

I guess it starts with knowing who to contact?

I call back the number 39 19 or by SMS, 114. But before that, there are other things to do. We must first answer the question: how do I detects that there is a problem of violence with a woman, with an employee? There are also men who can suffer violence, but statistically, there are more female employees who are affected. Moreover, we particularly saw this in our companies at the time of Covid, since that is when work moved to home and we, HR managers or managers, had to manage these problematic. The company coped and the HR department found solutions to help these female victims.

Who should be trained first? The management team? All employees? Should everyone be made aware of these issues and in particular the detection of violence within the company, since this is one of the subjects that you address in this guide?

Obviously, training is necessary since this is part of prevention. Yes, you have to start at the top. There must be this collective awareness of protection and good behavior. If we detect bad behavior, we must act immediately and propose actions. So training, yes, is important. Moreover, in many companies, this has already been done and achieved.

With references also in companies

It is indeed a good way to have a local relay who will be able to listen, gather words, listen and then try to find solutions. HR managers have two possibilities. They can discuss with their social partners to work on agreements and concrete development proposals. But we also have other companies, other managers or HR who will take action. For example, HR can, during working time, offer to the victim to go and carry complaint, take administrative steps or even search for accommodation. These are things that exist.

Regarding violence within companies, what should we do?

It’s quite simple, you have to say it and therefore really listen. When faced with this, an investigation must take place immediately. Then, obviously, if this is proven then we take sanctions.

Is this violence not being reduced with the feminization of management teams? I remember that you were HR from Orange, CapgeminiSNCF, Dassault Systèmes.

The subject is taken in a completely voluntary manner. I think it may be due to this feminization, but not necessarily. However, the subject is a social subject and it is the responsibility of companies to ensure health and safety within company premises. So we have evolved a lot. L’ANDRHreally, makes a point of going even further on these topics there to rise to the occasion and help these women victims.

Doesn’t violence start with pay discrimination? Women are paid 4% less than men for comparable working hours and positions. During the social conference on Monday October 16, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne proposed to the social partners to build a new men/women index to measure salary discrimination between women and men and differences in career advancement.

This subject is also taken through the gender equality index which will probably evolve. It has been evolving since its creation. HR managers obviously have this desire to make this index the best possible and therefore take actions to reduce the differences salaries between men and women.