Workplace violence

Definition:

1. It is an act of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, threat or disruptive behavior

that occurs at the work site.
2. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide.
3. It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers and visitors.
4. It includes:
a. Rapes
b. Beatings
c. Stabbings
d. Shootings
e. Harassment
f. Intimidation
g. Psychological traumas
h. Suicides / Near-suicides
i. Threats or obscene phone calls

Types of Work Place Violence: 4 types

1. Criminal Intent.
a. The committer of violence has no rightful relationship with the business or its
employee(s).
b. Incidental violence due to crimes such as robbery, shoplifting, or trespassing.
c. Acts of terrorism.

2. Customer/client.
a. The committer of violence has relationship with the business and becomes
violent while being served by the business, e.g. customer, client, patient,
student, or inmate,
b. Customer/client incidents mostly occur in the following sectors:
i. Healthcare e.g. incidents of violence on caregivers, doctors, etc.
ii. Hospitality e.g. Hotel, Airlines, etc.
iii. Law and Oder Enforcement, e.g. prisons,
iv. Education e.g. teaching staff
c. Business that involve dealing with individuals such as criminals, mentally ill,
those in confinements, etc.

3. Worker-on-worker.
a. An employee / past employee attacks or threatens other past employee(s) or
employee(s) at workplace.
b. This mostly occurs due to employers not conducting a criminal background check
during the hiring process
 4. Personal Relationship:
a. The committer of violence usually does not have a relationship with the business
but has a personal relationship with the intended victim.
b. This category includes victims of domestic violence who are assaulted or
threatened while at work
c. This type of violence occurs mostly in workplaces:
i. Accessible to the public during business hours, such as retail businesses,
ii. Have only one location, making it impossible to transfer employees.
iii. Women are at higher risk of being victims of this type of violence.

Interventions:

1. Provide job satisfaction

2. Encourage mechanisms for complaints and concerns
3. Encourage employees to express in non-judgmental forum
4. Encourage reporting of bullying and harassment incidents
5. Encourage and maintain family-friendly work environment
6. Encourage and maintain impartial and consistent discipline
7. Encourage sincere, open and timely communication among managers, employees,
organizations

Preventions

For Employers:

1. Educate employees on workplace violence and self protection.

2. Installing CC Cams, alarm systems and extra lighting.
3. Minimize outsiders’ access by using identification badges, electronic keys and security
guards.
4. Ensure field workers have access to cell phones and handheld alarms for emergencies.

For Workers:

1. Attend safety training programs.

2. Report incidents in writing.
3. Refrain from traveling alone to unfamiliar locations.
4. Express concerns regarding safety and security at workplace, to the management