Weeks ago, I wrote about economic stress levels rising across our country, and how invariably that would drive up the levels of community and workplace violence.

But, as an employer, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. You can do nothing to address this changing enviroment, or you can see what’s coming down the pike, and take the steps now to protect your employees and your organization. And comply with California’s requirements too.

Economic News Continues to Point Towards Troubling Economic Times

Since I wrote about it, things on the economic front have worsened. And both employee and employer workplace surveys reflect that.

The Glassdoor’s employee confidence index has tanked and is at record lows. That index measures employee sentiment towards the next 6 months for the business outlook of the organization where they work.

The drop in the index numbers clearly show that employees are worried about the future. And it’s not just employees. The small business optimism index from the National Federation of Independent Business fell at the steepest rate in 4 years. It now rivals levels last seen during Covid, and just prior to the Great Recession. 

And the global business outlook isn’t doing any better. According to Moody’s Analytics, “This is the weakest survey reading since the U.S. banking crisis two years ago and the most significant decline in the survey results since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago.” 

Economic downturns lead to rising community violence. And rising violence in the community spills over into the workplace. And that’s because 75% of all workplace violence incidents orginate from people outside of the workplace.

In this piece, I cover some different ways to think about workplace violence prevention during difficult economic times. Call it a workplace violence prevention mindest reset. Adopting this mindset shift, will go a long ways towards protecting your employees and your organization from the harmful effects of workplace violence.

There’s no pound of cure for violence once it happens. The devistation it leaves in its wake remains for a long time to come. Helping you protect your employees, and your organization, and comply with California’s extensive workplace violence prevention requirements is why I do what I do.

I spent 30 years investigating violence in the community and in the workplace. My approach to workplace violence prevention is based upon what I saw first hand about how violence happens, and what approaches are effective at preventing it.

Training your employees in strategies to avoid physical harm from workplace violence is the most important, yet least understood, requirement in California’s workplace violence prevention law. I’ve put together a great training that demystifies this type of training so that you can determine the best strategies for your employees specific safety needs. 

Workplace Violence Mindset Reset for Times of Economic Stress 

This mindset shift matters, as it is the best way to make your workplace violence prevention effective during times of economic stress. The requirement that your workplace violence prevention program be effective appears in California’s workplace violence prevention law eight times.

California requires that employers do more than just cover their butts. They want employers to get workplace violence prevention right. So that it protects your employees. And to California getting it right means being effective.

Getting it right also means protecting your organization too. I learned during 30 years of providing case preparation to civil plaintiff attorneys that economic downturns produce an increase in lawsuits getting filed. 

California’s requirement that your workplace violence prevention program be effective does not change when the economy changes. So employers have to stay on top of ensuring that your workplace violence prevention program remains effective, even with the safety challenges that come during times of economic stress.

Here are some ways to revamp your workplace violence mindset during uncertain economic times:

•  Reorient your thinking about how violence happens. Violence is unpredictable, chaotic, and non-linear. To be effective, violence prevention must see violence in that way. Forget about violence starting with an argument. During times of economic violence, an attack is far more likely to be launched without a word being said.
•  Remember that there are 4 source types of workplace violence. Not just one. Community, invitee, and employees’ personal connections are most effected by economic uncertainty as they are the most stress driven.. We’re conditioned to think of workplace violence consisting of co-worker violence. If your organication must lay off employees, you can do so safely, simply by communicating better with employees, and doing what you can to help soften the blow. 
•  Employers lack control over 3/4s of the source types of workplace violence. The key to keeping employees safe from those source types is training. Focus more on ensuring that employees can recognize and address safety threats from those workplace violence source types.
•  The most important component of training is in strategies to avoid physical harm. During times of economic uncertainty, your can’t just rely on “de-escalation” since emotions run much higher.  Give your employees the right tools for the specific types of safety hazards they’re most likely to face. And make sure they can apply them automatically through practicing and roleplaying. 
•  Get your employees involved in workplace violence prevention. For workplace violence prevention to be effective, your employees need to help you to help them. They should be deeply involved in dentifying the safety threats they face, deciding on approaches to remediate those safety threats, and to ascertaining what skills they will most need to rely on to keep safe from those with hiring stress levels.
•  Co-worker violence can be nipped in the bud if you’re proactive. The media will focus on any incidents of co-worker violence during uncertain economic times. But you have the ability to prevent it more easily than violence from the other 3 source types. Make sure that you have an effective complaint and investigation processes that your employees feel confident will be able to address issues when they arise. Letting something fester is the surest route to co-worker violence.
•  Revisit your workplace violence safety hazards ssessments. Things change when we transition into periods of higher stress levels. Re-interview employees and reinspect the physical environment. Re-orient your thinking to focus on how accessible your employees are to someone from the 3 source types most susceptible to increased economic stress who might attack them.

With changing economic stress levels comes the opportuntity to refresh how you approach workplace violence prevention. A mindset reset can be the difference between employees being safe, and being physically harmed.

Training your employees in strategies to avoid physical harm from workplace violence is the most important, yet least understood, requirement in California’s workplace violence prevention law. I’ve put together a great training that demystifies this type of training so that you can determine the best strategies for your employees specific safety needs.