October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I don’t mean to be indelicate but, why aren’t more business leaders at the table helping to find a way to end domestic violence in our community?

Where is the moral outrage? Where is the angst about raising our daughters, granddaughters, nieces or their friends in a culture of silence that condones emotional, physical and sexual abuse of women?

Where is the concern about the financial impact on our businesses?

Oh, did that get your attention? Good, because there is a business case to be made to fight this societal plague, and my organization and I want to share what we’ve learned in hopes that it will influence you to take action.

It is estimated that one in four women in the United States will be abused by an intimate partner in her lifetime. This violence costs businesses $900 million in lost productivity and $4.1 billion in direct medical and mental health care services every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you employ women, there is a good chance that one or more is a victim or survivor of domestic abuse. At Inland Hospital, several of our more than 550 female employees have bravely and calmly talked with me about horrific injuries, fear, shame, concern for their children and the impact this all has on their attendance and productivity at work.

Research shows that nearly three-quarters of abused women were harassed by their partner while at work, so being late to work, leaving early and missing work completely can be frequent occurrences — for both victims and abusers.

I’ve spoken with co-workers who worry about a colleague and are concerned that her abuser might show up at work. I see the impact on our managers and security staff when we are in a heightened state of alert or when an abuser has used social media to emotionally attack his victim and try to destroy her reputation.

We will maintain a safe workplace and do everything we can to protect and support our employees, but we don’t have an unlimited supply of money or time. And neither do you. Make no mistake, this isn’t just about your bottom line; your silence helps to weaken every business in the Kennebec Valley.

This is not a “private” matter anymore — domestic violence is a workplace issue, and we need to treat it like other safety problems that have negativey impacts on our employees and our business.

Years ago, we at Inland asked ourselves what can we do to change the culture of silence about domestic violence in our community?

We started providing community benefit funding for Family Violence Project efforts, we make sure Help Line fliers are posted in all bathrooms and locker rooms at the hospital, and we hang Silence Hides Violence banners at our front entrance. Our employees participate in the kNOw Violence Task Force, and we take part in Speak Out events like the one held on Oct. 1 at Thomas College.

Two years ago, we developed a task force to create a new policy that heightens awareness of domestic abuse and provides guidance, education and resources for employees and colleagues affected by violence. We address it at new employee orientation, and it is part of our mandatory annual education for every employee.

But to us, it’s not enough. We want to do more. And we want to encourage business leaders to recognize the impact of domestic violence on their bottom line, and take action like we are, to try and make a difference.

We encourage other business leaders to actively support organizations such as the Family Violence Project, and consider writing their own domestic abuse policy. Whatever they do, I’m asking them to make it clear that this matters to you and your organization. It will show your employees that you support them, and send a message to abusers that you don’t tolerate domestic abuse of any kind.

Remember, as our colleagues at the Family Violence Project say, “No one has to do everything, but everyone has to do something”.

John Dalton has been president and CEO of Inland Hospital, Waterville, for almost nine years. Inland is a 48-bed community hospital in Waterville, 18 physician practices in Waterville, Fairfield, Oakland, Unity, North Anson and Madison, and Lakewood, a continuing care center on the Inland campus.