Top 5 Ways to Prevent Workplace Violence
Violence in the workplace is a sad, dangerous reality. Without proper measures in place, even something as little as an argument can escalate into something ugly for both employees and businesses.
Fortunately, there are ways to prevent workplace violence and make workplaces safer. In this blog, we’ll share the different ways businesses minimize and prevent workplace violence altogether to create a safe work environment for all employees.
Workplace Violence Statistics
Each year, a staggering number of American workers face the harrowing reality of workplace violence. Recent statistics reveal that in 2021-22 alone, assaults inflicted a staggering 57,610 injuries, while 525 deaths were attributed to assault in 2022, as reported by Injury Facts®.
Among various sectors, certain industries are particularly susceptible to violence, with healthcare, service providers, and education topping the list. For instance, taxi drivers face a disproportionately higher risk, being over 20 times more likely to fall victim to on-the-job murders compared to other occupations, as per OSHA data.
Workplace Safety Strategies
Here are the top five ways your business can help in preventing workplace aggression and preventing workplace harassment:
1. ENFORCE A COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY
The company must have a strict code of conduct that covers violence and harassment. Develop and enforce a clear policy that defines all forms of harassment and violence, making it evident that such behaviors are unacceptable and will lead to serious consequences.
All employees must know that there is a zero-tolerance policy towards workplace harassment and violence. This policy should be communicated to all employees through various channels, ensuring they understand the definitions, implications, and seriousness with which the organization treats such matters.
Moreover, regular updates and reminders about this policy help reinforce its importance.
2. ENCOURAGE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Once the company policies are implemented and communicated to the employees, management must ensure that channels of feedback and reporting are in place.
In fact, employees should feel encouraged to report their complaints and should be assured that their privacy will be respected. Create an environment where open and honest communication is encouraged at all levels.
This involves not only ensuring that employees feel comfortable reporting concerns or incidents without fear of retaliation but also training managers and supervisors to recognize and address signs of potential conflict or distress among team members.
Effective communication also means regular check-ins with employees and providing feedback channels where they can express concerns or suggestions anonymously if they prefer.
Without proper reporting channels and responses, smaller incidents can go unreported. This is harmful in the long run because small grievances and arguments can lead to big confrontations, eventually resulting in violence.
3. MINIMIZE STRESSFUL SITUATIONS
Stress plays a huge psychological role when it comes to how people react in a certain environment.
For example, a person spending eight to nine hours a day at a workplace is bound to have certain worries and stresses. This could range from overwhelming workloads to a lack of job security, which could turn violent with time.
Therefore, the company must ensure that the workload is equally distributed among all employees and is within reasonable limits.
Make sure to identify and address potential sources of stress within the workplace, as high-stress levels can contribute to conflict and violence. Addressing potential sources of stress may look like this:
- Setting a realistic and fair workload management
- Offering flexible work options
- Ensuring fair treatment and opportunities for advancement
- Providing support for those dealing with personal stressors
- Frequent feedback sessions
Employees should all have clear job duties and a fair idea of what is expected of them and their work. This will not only keep them on track but will also alleviate worries about expectations and whether they are meeting those requirements.
Implementing wellness programs that include mental health resources can also help employees manage stress in healthier ways.
4. ENCOURAGE ACCEPTANCE
One of the best ways to prevent workplace violence is to encourage respect, openness, and acceptance of different opinions.
Promote a culture of diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect. Encourage employees to embrace and respect differences among colleagues, whether they pertain to race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other aspect.
How can you do this? First, you should educate staff on the importance of having diverse views to foster improvement and innovation. Second, diversity training and team-building activities can help foster a sense of community and understanding, reducing biases and misunderstandings that might lead to conflicts.
However, this must start at the top. Management must wholeheartedly listen to what employees have to contribute, demonstrate a commitment to diversity, and maintain an inclusive and accepting work environment.
5. Workplace Violence Prevention Training
Provide comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention Training from a trusted provider for all employees on recognizing the warning signs of violent behavior and understanding the steps to take in response, including how to report concerns and how to respond in crises.
Employee training for violence prevention should also cover de-escalation techniques and ways to safely intervene or seek help if violence is threatened or occurs. Regular drills or simulations can help ensure that employees are prepared and know how to respond effectively in an emergency.
Tips for Preventing Workplace Violence
To go a step further, implement the following tips into your workplace violence prevention strategy.
- Conduct Background Checks: Perform thorough background checks during the hiring process to identify potential red flags or histories of violent behavior. While not all risks can be mitigated this way, it helps in making informed decisions.
- Offer Support Systems: Provide support services for employees, such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), which offer counseling and support for those dealing with personal or professional stressors that could escalate into conflict.
- Implement Workplace Security Measures: Depending on the nature of the workplace, consider appropriate workplace security measures such as secure access, surveillance systems, and having a security presence. Ensure that employees are aware of and comfortable with these measures.
- Encourage Reporting: Create a safe and anonymous way for employees to report concerns about violence, threats, or harassment without fear of retaliation. Ensure that all reports are taken seriously and investigated promptly.
- Respond Quickly to Incidents: When an incident is reported, act quickly to investigate and address it. Taking decisive action not only resolves the specific situation but also reinforces the seriousness with which the organization treats such matters.
- Develop a Crisis Response Plan: Have a plan in place for responding to incidents of violence, including emergency response procedures and communication strategies. Regularly review and practice the plan to ensure preparedness.
- Prioritize Employee Well-being: Promote work-life balance and provide resources for managing stress, such as wellness programs and flexible work arrangements. Happy, healthy employees are less likely to become involved in conflicts.
Combining the strategies mentioned earlier and these essential tips, you can help prevent violence in the workplace and promote workplace conflict resolution.
Workplace Violence Awareness
Workplace violence awareness involves educating employees, managers, and employers about the realities of workplace violence, how to prevent it, and how to react if it happens. The goal of raising awareness is to create a safe and secure working environment for all.
However, workplace violence awareness is an ongoing process, requiring regular workplace violence prevention training, updates to policies and procedures, and open communication channels.
Remember, creating a safe work environment starts with the management of any company to guide and help employees. Management should encourage employees to discuss safety and report threats. They should also ensure they explain the company policies to employees clearly.
Moreover, make sure that team members feel they’re heard and are confident about the effectiveness of communication channels and employee safety measures. Last but not least, once a report of violence or other breach of the code of conduct is received, action must be taken to set an example and avoid similar instances in the future.
By fostering an environment of awareness and preparedness, organizations can significantly reduce the likelihood of violence and ensure a safer workplace for everyone. Ready to create a safer work environment for your employees? Browse 360training’s Workplace Violence Prevention Training courses today!
1. Comprehensive Anti-Harassment Policy
The company must have a strict code of conduct that covers violence and harassment. All employees must know that there is a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and violence. The policy must also be clear and effective from start to end, with standard procedures followed for all reported incidents and real consequences for the violators.
2. Effective Communication
Once the company policies are implemented and communicated to the employees, management must ensure that channels of feedback and reporting are in place. In fact, the employees must be encouraged to report their complaints and should be assured about their privacy, as well. Without proper reporting channels and responses, smaller incidents can go unreported. This is harmful in the long run because small grievances and arguments can fester and grow into big confrontations, eventually ending in violence.
3. Minimize Stressful Situations
Stress plays a huge psychological role when it comes to how people react in a certain environment. A person spending eight to nine hours a day at a workplace is bound to have certain worries and stresses. This could range from overwhelming workloads to a lack of job security, which could possibly turn violent with time.
Therefore, a company must ensure that the workload is equally distributed among all employees and is within reasonable limits. Additionally, the employees should all have clear job duties and a fair idea of what is expected of them and their work. This will not only keep them on track but will also alleviate worries about expectations and whether they are meeting those requirements. Frequent feedback sessions can also help with that.
4. Encourage Acceptance
One of the best ways to prevent workplace violence is to encourage respect, openness, and acceptance of differences of opinions. Educate staff on the importance of having contradictory views to foster improvement and innovation. This must start at the top. Management must wholeheartedly listen to what employees have to contribute, demonstrate a commitment to diversity, and maintain an inclusive and accepting work environment.
5. Minimize Asset-Based Risks
Although this has more of an external side to it, workplace robberies also fall into the category of work-related violence. Incidents of this nature usually occur at places with valuable assets, like banks, retail stores, or car showrooms. However, in reality, most businesses can easily fall victim to this threat one way or another. Not only should these assets be kept out of reach, but if they are a necessary requirement, proper security arrangements should be put in place not only to secure the assets but the employees, too. Workplace violence can damage a business’s reputation and adversely affect the well-being and performance of the employees.
It is important to clearly explain the company policies to employees. Management should also encourage employees to discuss safety and report threats. Make sure that team members feel they’re heard and are confident about the effectiveness of the communication channels and safety protocols. Last, but not least, once a report of violence or other breach of code of conduct is received, action must be taken to set an example and avoid similar instances in the future.
