Workplace Violence

April is Workplace Violence Awareness Month, sponsored by the Alliance Against Workplace Violence (http://workplaceviolenceawareness.org/). It is, therefore, a good time to revisit this topic and perhaps to rethink the policies you have in place for recognizing, preventing and dealing with workplace violence. How can violence in the workplace impact your business? What is its effect on productivity and your bottom line? The articles below can provide some food for discussions with your business continuity team.

This Workplace Violence website provides information on the extent of violence in the workplace, assessing the hazards in different settings and developing workplace violence prevention plans for individual worksites. (Item #1)     Companies that recognize the potential for workplace violence are in the best position to prevent it. (Item #2)     This brief video offers seven tips on how to prevent violence in the workplace. (Item #3)    

It is crucial that domestic abuse be seen as a serious, recognizable, and preventable problem like thousands of other workplace health and safety issues that affect a business and its bottom line. (Item #4)     In today's society no company is immune from the threat of workplace violence; prudent, proactive measures can reduce the likelihood of a tragedy and reduce the risk to your business. (Item #5)     Incidents of violence in the workplace highlight the need for business owners to take precautions and proactive measures to protect employees and coworkers and reduce the likelihood of an incident of violent crime. (Item #6)    

As always, I look forward to hearing about your concerns with regard to business continuity. If there are any topics that you'd like to see covered, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Workplace Violence - OSHA

Workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers and visitors. Homicide is the leading cause of death for women in the workplace. However it manifests itself, workplace violence is a major concern for employers and employees nationwide.
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/

2. What Are the Causes of Workplace Violence?

Workplace violence takes many forms and has many causes. Angered former employees, customers who feel wronged, stressed out employees or a conflict between co-workers can elevate to the point of a violent altercation in the office. Personal life does spill over into the workplace, and sometimes those personal issues present themselves at the office with dangerous consequences. Companies that recognize the potential for workplace violence are in the best position to prevent it.
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/causes-workplace-violence-1237.html

3. Seven Tips to Prevent Workplace Violence

This video on YouTube discusses seven tips toward preventing violence in the workplace. It's short and to the point, and may be helpful in your discussions regarding a workplace violence prevention plan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2leLuzA77yM

4. The Facts on the Workplace and Domestic Violence

Domestic violence doesn't stay home when its victims go to work. It can follow them, resulting in violence in the workplace. Or it can spill over into the workplace when a woman is harassed by threatening phone calls, absent because of injuries or less productive from extreme stress. With nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) reporting being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives, it is a certainty that in any mid-to-large sized company, domestic violence is affecting employees.
http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/file
/Children_and_Families/Workplace.pdf

5. Violence in the Workplace-A growing problem in America

Workplace violence is a daily occupational risk and hazard for many workers in today's society. Every year there are over one million incidents of workplace violence in the United States. Too often, workplace violence is regarded as part of the job and very little, if anything, is done to eliminate it. The solutions to these problems are based on addressing the institutional and structural issues, rather than blaming workers for a hazard they are not responsible for creating.
http://www.employeescreen.com/workviol.htm

6. Workplace Violence Law & Legal Definition

Workplace violence has emerged as a subject of considerable interest to both small and large businesses in recent years. Some small business owners deny that this grim issue is a concern for them, but in reality, workplace violence can strike even tiny start-up firms. And as many analysts and business owners have charged, even the threat of violence can have a dreadful impact on the culture and productivity of a small business.
http://definitions.uslegal.com/w/workplace-violence/