European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 27, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Jade Miller a psychologist at Honeywell counsels an employees who was beaten up by her husband. Companies act on family violence by Milt Freudenheim new York times Oving cautiously Ina a new area o corporate responsibility a growing number of companies have begun to real family violence As a sickness undermining Tho health arid performance of employees. Now corporate programs springing up around the country Are focusing on Domestic problems like child and spousal abuse companies Are holding seminars raining managers to be Mote sensitive to such problems and providing Counselor and referral services for professional help. Employers Are increasingly recognizing Hal in their employee Pool there Are victims of abuse As Well As  said Anne Conn executive director of the National Commilles for the prevention of child abuse. The problem has received an especially Large amount of attention in Minneapolis and St. Paul Coles known Lor innovative corporate social programs. A group of twin cities business and government people have formed a non profit coalition responses to end abuse of children inc family violence costs employers millions of dollars annually in lower productivity turnover absenteeism and excessive use of medical benefits said Deborah Anderson executive vice president of responses. The control data corp. Here will Send letters and brochures to the Homes o its 34.000 employees next week inviting those who want help with family violence problems to Contact company Counselor. In the next Tew weeks the same invitation will be mailed to about 400,000 employees of 300 other companies across the country thai buy employee counselling programs from control data and Hazelden services inc., another Minneapolis company. At Honeywell inc s military avionics division Here employees and their families have already received invitations to consult a company psychologist or Call on an outside Agency Lor Telephone counselling and referrals to therapy agencies. The company s health insurance will cover such care and employees Are assured that heir problems would be kept confidential. In a recent letter to employees of the division Stanley f. Moeschl the general manager said the problem of abuse affects people in every Community regardless of family income race religion background or education. Consequently it is everyone s concern including Honeywell  Moeschl enclosed a brochure listing examples of abuse by a spouse humiliating you in Public Locking you out of your House biting kicking  other Minnesota companies developing programs include the Minnesota mining & manufacturing co., the is. Paul cos. And the securities firms Piper Jat Ray & Hopwood inc. And Oain Bosworth inc. At most companies the new programs arc an Extension of longstanding policies of providing assistance to employees Wilh alcohol and drug problems. Should they become More widespread the programs could touch a Largo number of workers and heir families. About 25 of every 1.000 children or 1,6 million a year Are reported to the authorities As victims of serious mistreat men and neglect according to a government study by the National Center on child abuse and neglect. More than one woman in 10 is assaulted by her companion every year and one third of this group or 1.8 million Are severely attacked according to a Survey by Richard j. Gelles and Murray a. Straus sponsored by the National Institute of mental health. The abuse exists at every level of society government and academic experts have found. And the it Leils spill Over into the work  said c. Everett Koop the surgeon general of the United states. How easy can it Bolor an employee to concentrate on Tver Job after being thrown up against the Wall and bruised asked Jude Miller a psychologist and supervise of health services and employee assistance a Honeywell military avionics. In a recent study of so battered woman by the victims service Agency in new York lost work Lime was common. Half Ihn women said they had missed three Days of work a a nah on average because of abuse at Home. Sixty four percent said they were Isle to work because of violence. More than Throe fourths of the women said they had used work time to Telephone friends Counselor physicians and lawyers because they could not do to a i Home. But talking about family violence is still taboo Lor marry people. A we held a Brown bag lunch on Domestic violence nobody would come said Patricia Owen manager of employee assistance programs at Hazelden services an affiliate of the widely known Center for alcohol and drug treatment. So employers use a variety of devices to broach the subject. Honeywell and 3-m have held lunchtime discussions on topics like How to handle difficult kids or fair  St. Paul cos., an insurer invited employees to a play about family violence that was written and presented by teen agers. Such events can Lead to help for some employees. For example a 39-year-old Honeywell employee a College graduate who works in space and aviation systems Lisl heard of the assistance program at a company seminar. Her husband had been frequently shouting at her and occasionally hitting her she said asking that her Nama be withheld. I was t even aware it was abuse she said. I thought i had a Normal  the turmoil Al Home affected her work. I just could t concentrate she said. A Honeywell Counselor referred her to local agencies Tot abuse victims. But the woman s husband who is also a College graduate i refused to enter a counselling program until forced to do so by a court order. Since the therapy began the abuse has stopped she said. In a related approach . Dupont de Nemours & co., based in Wilmington del., has its own personal safely program which teaches strategies Lor dealing with rape and child abuse. Dupont has prepared a Booklet on personal safety and urges its 100,000 employees to read it with their children recently the company began workshops for women who have Baen physically or psychologically battered said Mary Lou Arey manager of personnel development. Of Pont also Sells its program to other companies like Armstrong world industries based in Lancaster a. The general electric co. Is making a videotape to Tell 1.150 employees in Hundor Sonville n.c., about mainstay a local program ural helps abused women. The company is also holding meetings and mailing brochures to describe the help available for family problems. On Long Island a number of companies Iii explore family violence As a work place Issue this fall at a coating sponsored by the Long Island association an employer group and the presiding officer of the Suffolk county legislature Sondra Bachety. Counselor at the american Telephone & Telegraph co. Offices in Morristown. N.j., May refer employees to local therapy services like the Jersey battered women s service and abuse ceases today a program formate  some municipal governments Are also trying to Deal with he Domo Elroc violence problems of employees. For example a 29-year-old Bullaro woman was shouted at and beaten by her Boyfriend who is a municipal employee in a Buffalo suburb. As their relationship floundered he went to the town s employee assistance consultants Yost inc., which referred the couple to counselling agencies. He was my problem and i was his problem she said. The Counselor have helped  doctors also seem to be increasingly aware of abuse problems. It s a much larger Issue than the Field of. Medicine used to know about said John s. Montgomery a psychiatrist and medical director of human affairs International a Salt Lake City employee assistance subsidiary of the Aetna life and casualty co. Even so fear and shame keep Many victims of abuse from seeking help said David Robinson director of the employee assistance resources division Al control data. Even trained Counselor Don t like to Deal with it he said. Page 14 the stars and stripes tuesday