Violence at Work: From Disgruntled Employees and Domestic Violence to Mass Murder (or Active Shooter, which is the new buzzword)

Considering the news and staggering events of mass shootings of the last several months, workplace violence might be foremost in our minds. Most of us think of workplace violence occurring only in the workplace setting, but the threatening conduct is broader and may encompass behavior occurring outside the actual workplace. Even domestic violence creates challenges for all employers.

Employers have been found to violate federal discrimination laws when they take an adverse action against domestic violence victims. An example is if an employer disciplines a domestic violence victim for being absent but does not discipline other employees who are absent. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5% of U. S. businesses experience workplace violence yearly. The percentage of workplace violence increases to 50% for organizations with 1,000 employees. The FBI stated that in 2014 an active shooting incident occurred, on average, once every three weeks. However, given the size of the U. S., the chances of being a victim of a workplace shooting is statistically low. These statistics capture the most severe types of workplace violence but certainly not the most prevalent forms. OSHA reports that roughly two million workers report incidents of violence each year such as harassment, threats, aggressive and belligerent behavior to name a few, which does not include the majority of cases that go unreported. But how is workplace violence defined, and who are the primary perpetrators? This training will explore the many aspects of workplace violence.

Costs of workplace violence is staggering: One study indicated that employers pay $1775 more on each victim of domestic violence annually in terms of medical costs, increased insurance and more. Additional workplace violence costs include:

• Loss of employees through turnover
• Absenteeism
• Psychological damage to all – resulting in increased health insurance
• Cost for worker’s compensation
• Cost for improved security
• Damage to property
• Stolen property – cost of repair or replacement
• Lawsuits
• Increased insurance premiums
• Poor reputation leading to decreased business

Learning Objectives may include

• To define workplace violence
• To classify the usual types of perpetrators
• To summarize the warning signs of a potential perpetrator
• To list known risk factors for workplace violence in terms of positions and  locations
• To identify the high-risk industries for workplace violence
• To review the laws involved in workplace violence
• To discuss OSHA’s enforcement policies and procedures and their “general duty clause”
• To outline recommended prevention of violence strategies
• To recognize the levels of violence and appropriate responses
• To identify critical elements of a violence in the workplace policy and procedure
• To list 10 tips to de-escalate an agitated person
• To discuss workplace “parking lot” or “guns-at-work” laws
• To outline the roles and responsibilities of the organization’s stakeholders
• To explain how to help the workplace and workers recover following a violent episode.