Workplace Violence

Roughly two million American workers are victims of workplace violence every year. The annual cost of this violence is estimated to be in the billions. Organizations are affected in many ways, and it's unclear whether the impact on employees can even be measured. This week's articles focus on how and why workplace violence occurs, the warning signs, and what you can do about it and its aftermath.

Workplace violence is receiving increased attention thanks to a growing awareness of the toll that violence takes on workers and workplaces. (Item #1)     Avoid thinking that most workplace violence happens because an individual has "snapped," going violent spontaneously without provocation. (Item #2)     The personal and economic toll can be incalculable in terms of loss and suffering. (Item #3)    

Protecting employees, customers and clients from harm should be the primary concern of any company's security personnel as well as its senior executives, but planning should also include looking at longer-term impacts of violence. (Item #4)     There are a number of legal theories that could lead to civil liability following an incident of workplace violence. (Item #5)     Only planning and training for workplace violence will mitigate your risks for accidents and threats. (Item #6)    

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments & insights regarding business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like us to cover, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Workplace Violence: A Report to the Nation

Workplace violence affects us all. Its burden is borne not only by victims of violence, but by their co-workers, their families, their employers, and by every worker at risk of violent assault--in other words, virtually all of us. Although we know that each year workplace violence results in hundreds of deaths, more than two million injuries, and billions of dollars in costs, our understanding of workplace violence is still in its infancy. Much remains to be done in the area of research, particularly in data collection and in intervention.
http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/IPRC/resources/workplace-violence-report.pdf

2. US: Two Million Victims Each Year

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' January 2013 report, workplace homicides were up 50% over last year. Nearly 2,000 employees are targeted and killed while on-the-job in America every year. Shootings, 79% of those who died, were the most frequent manner of death in both homicides and suicides. Of the total incidences where harm was intended in a workplace, in 2011, 4,692 were harmed. But, that's not the whole story. OSHA reports nearly 2,000,000 American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year. It says many more cases go unreported.
http://angiesdiary.com/society/workplace-violence/

3. Dealing with Violence in the Workplace

This article addresses employers' responsibility to prevent, manage and mitigate the consequences of workplace violence, including domestic violence. Published reports and research demonstrate the scope of the problem as a major issue for human resource professionals and other corporate officials. Discussion of legal issues and practical challenges in developing and implementing programs and policies is meant to help employers prevent and mitigate the risks of workplace violence.
http://www.shrm.org/templatestools/toolkits/pages/dealingwithviolenceintheworkplace.aspx

4. Limiting impact of workplace violence

While there is no way to fully eliminate the risk of a violent incident occurring within the workplace, comprehensive crisis prevention and response planning can help companies greatly reduce an incident's impact, a panel of experts said last week at the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc.'s conference in Philadelphia.
http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20120422/NEWS06/304229984#

5. Protecting Your Company from Workplace Violence

Violence at the worksite is something that employers cannot ignore. Victims of crime and their families suffer obvious pain and trauma when workplace violence occurs. The intangible and tangible effects on businesses where workplace violence occurs are increasingly evident. In addition to the significant impact such crimes have on lost productivity and dollar costs, employers are being faced with expanding civil liability when such incidents occur and increased governmental regulation to prevent workplace violence.
https://www.wyche.com/article/protecting-your-company-from-workplace-violence

6. Managing Workplace Violence

You've been practicing drills for fires, tornados, and earthquakes since childhood. But have you been trained for workplace violence and man-made disasters? Do you and your building occupants have emergency plans for dealing with an active shooter, medical emergencies, industrial accidents, domestic abuse, harassment, bomb threats, or civil disturbances? No facility is immune to violence or accidents that disrupt business, productivity, and your bottom line.
http://www.buildings.com/article-details/articleid/13734/title/managing-workplace-violence.aspx