‘I Don't Want to Make This Such a Gender Thing’: Theorising the Place of Gender in Domestic Violence Workplace Policies

Domestic violence (DV) is a widespread, gendered social issue and a workplace problem. Over the last two decades, the development of international standards, legislation and organisational provisions has aimed to tackle the impact and effects of DV in the workplace. While establishing such frameworks is a significant step towards safeguarding victims of violence at work, it is how these policies are enacted which determines their success. At the workplace level, implementation of DV policies through a gendered lens is essential to make substantive progress towards gender equality outcomes. In our article, insights from case study organisations and key informants reveal significant variation in the conceptualisation of gender in relation to DV policies in the workplace. Where key informants, including NGOs, trade unions and government agencies, emphasised a gender‐informed approach to DV and the workplace, case study organisations tempered the role of gender, adopting a largely gender‐neutral approach in policy enactment. These different approaches are significant for policy implementation, which is both inclusive, particularly of LGBT+ relationships, and contributes to gender equality outcomes.