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 Workplace Violence by the Numbers

Disgruntled Employee Kills Supervisor and Several Co-Workers.  Estranged Husband Kills Wife at Office, Several Co-Workers Caught in the Crossfire.  Plant Shooter, “I deserved the promotion”.  Headlines like these appear everyday in newspapers and on television news broadcasts across the country.  People are being killed and assaulted in the workplace. 

The number of deaths and assaults is shocking:

            20 people per week are murdered in the workplace

            18,000 people per week are assaulted in the workplace

            The leading cause of death in the workplace for women is murder

            1 in 68 American workers will be the victims of workplace violence (assault or murder)

The financial impact is severe:

            The average workplace violence incident costs the employer $250,000

            Workplace violence costs US companies approximately $4.2 billion annually

Companies suffer indirect losses from business interruption, increased legal and medical fees, and reduced productivity

Profile of a potential perpetrator of workplace violence may exhibit:

            Aggressive behavior                   Make veiled threats

            Has conflict with others              Fascination with weapons

            Attendance problems                 Behavior changes / Mood Swings

            Drug/Alcohol abuse                    Unshakeable depression

            Decreased productivity               Trouble concentrating

            Severe stress                            Disregard for safety

            Inconsistent work patterns          Extreme changes in health and hygiene

Workplace environments that can foster violent episodes may have:

            Authoritarian management style              Closed communications

            Routine labor / management disputes      Disproportionate number of injury claims

            Excessive overtime or staff shortages      Frequent employee complaints or grievances

            Lack of an anonymous tip program          Lax procedures for dealing with complaints

What you can do to reduce your exposure to a violent episode in the workplace:

            Implement a strict policy for dealing with violent behavior in the workplace

            Distribute the policy to all employees and include it in the employee handbook

            Respond to violence, or threats of violence immediately, do not allow the situation to fester

            Implement an employee assistance program where employees can get counseling and help

            Train front line managers to recognize the warning signs and empower them to react

            Teach conflict resolution techniques and encourage employees to seek help when needed

Be aware of events that can trigger violent episodes such as downsizing, abusive management techniques, increased workloads, and unresolved workplace issues.

Implement physical security measures such as electronic access control, closed circuit television, and company identification cards.

Violence in the workplace is an important issue that most Human Resource and Corporate Security Departments rate as a top five threat to business.  The steps you take now to reduce the threat of workplace violence can make a difference in the future if an episode occurs.  Please notify the Office Park Security Department if you are having problems in your workplace, or if you have a potential for a violent episode.  This will allow us to be aware of the incident, and be better prepared to assist if an incident does occur.  If you have questions regarding workplace violence please feel free to contact a member of the Security Department management team at 734-930-4911.

(Statistics from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Bureau of Justice Statistics)