Workplace Violence is Preventable. Here's How.

Workplace violence is preventable. So why aren't employers preventing it?

Each year there are approximately 2 million REPORTED incidents of workplace violence. The actual number of incidents is likely significantly higher.

Workplace violence takes a serious toll on staff, and on the business itself.

• Higher rates of absenteeism and employee turnover.
• Lower workplace productivity.
• Lower revenue.
• Higher insurance rates.
• Damage to community reputation that can last for months.

The harm to businesses and staff is widely known. And yet workplace violence continues. In fact, a survey by Zogby Analytics found that 34% of small and mid-sized businesses experienced an act of workplace violence. And 91% of business owners believe that workplace violence can occur in any industry.

For many employers, workplace violence is something that happens elsewhere...until it isn't.

For other employers, doing just enough to claim that you're doing something, such as a video program on active shooting, is all they do. Walmart did exactly that. Yet, six employees, who had watched their training were murdered by an employee who also watched the training.

For some employers, there's the misguided belief that what happens to their staff outside of work, never bleeds (yes I used that intentionally) into work. Women are often targeted in domestic violence incidents because their abusers knows right where they'll be at a specific time.

So what does it take to prevent workplace violence? First understand it's different sources.

• Workplace violence can occur due to interpersonal issues that go unresolved.
• It can occur during higher levels of community grievance and violence that spills over.
• It can occur due to domestic violence that moves from the home to work.
• It can occur as a result of a crime including robbery.
• And it can occur with vendors and customers who become violent over their perceived treatment.

Each type of risk for violence has its own prevention approach. But, a holistic approach recognizing the threat from each of these different safety risks is best.

Internal Investigation Processes That Inspire Staff Confidence 

Even for larger companies with in house HR staff, internal investigations conducted as a result of an employee complaint can fail to instill confidence that the complaint was taken seriously. To truly minimize the risk of employee driven workplace violence, an employer must develop an internal investigation process that works. It must legitimately be after finding the truth, and it must instill confidence in it's effectiveness.

Interested in how to conduct an effective, confidence building internal investigation. Here's some tips.

Premises Security and Internal Communication 

Workplace violence can be reduced through improving your premises security, including lighting, and front desk communication approaches. Something as simple as installing a wireless door buzzer that can be used to alert management of a problem in the reception area can help reduce the risk of a reception area attack. In addition, individual workspaces can be organized to prevent a staff member from being trapped in a space by a customer, client, or patient.

Here are some more tips on premises security

Situational Awareness and De-Escalation Training

Staff safety can by greatly enhanced through implementing situational awareness and de-escalation techniques. Situational awareness allows your staff to AVOID a potential safety threat, while de-escalation helps your staff to take a situation with the potential to spiral into violence down a notch or two.

Here's some pointers on situational awareness and on de-esclation .

Self-Defense

Self-defense should be simple to learn and to apply by anyone regardless of size, strength, or shape. It should include defending against weapons as well as an unarmed attacker. It should be based upon proportional response to a given threat.

Here are some basic tips on disarming a firearm and why a small handheld tactical flashlight is the perfect weapon for low light conditions self-defense.