Legrand joins the fight against domestic violence

While there may be a tendency to see domestic violence as a personal issue that falls outside the purview of the workplace, a majority of victims are working women who would welcome support from their employer. (1)

Legrand, a French manufacturer of electrical and electronic fittings whose workforce is 36% female, decided to make domestic violence a major focus of its new corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.

The company’s first course of action was to sign two instruments in 2021:

• A commitment charter created by OneInThreeWomen, Europe’s leading network of companies working to address domestic violence, and the Fondation Agir contre l’Exclusion

• A corporate pledge against domestic violence sponsored by France’s Ministry for Gender Equality

The primary goal is to make the workplace a safe and welcoming space, as well as to be able to refer employees to the right experts.

In practice, this means teams are taught how to foster a climate of trust, where early warning signs are more likely to be picked up on, and managers receive training on how to provide confidential support.

The company is working to give visibility to this important issue while also ensuring victims are treated with dignity and respect.

¹ For some women, work is the only place they are safe from their abuser.