OPM convenes workgroup to address domestic violence in federal workplace

The Office of Personnel Management will convene an interagency workgroup in the coming weeks to establish governmentwide policies on domestic violence in the fe...

The Office of Personnel Management will convene an interagency workgroup to establish policies on domestic violence in the federal workplace.

A memorandum signed by President Barack Obama this month calls for OPM to consult with the Attorney General and secretaries of Health and Human Services, Labor, Homeland Security and other interested heads of agencies.

The workgroup will examine how to enhance security in federal facilities and how to link victims of domestic violence to assistance programs.

“We don’t have preconceived notions. We have an open mind,” said Rob Shriver, deputy general council for policy at OPM, about the workgroup, which he said would meet within the next couple of weeks.

Agencies have a mid-July deadline to submit their existing policies for addressing domestic violence in their workforce. All agencies have broad workforce violence policies, but these policies may not be targeted to domestic violence, Shriver said in an interview with The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.

“We want to look at what best practices are out there and bring in people like from the Justice Department and the Labor Department. I know they have specific offices that deal with domestic violence issues and we really want to get their input as we craft this going forward,” Shriver said.

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