Violence in the Workplace: "A Loaded Gun at the Head of the Employer"

Workplace Violence Rears Its Ugly Head

At Braun Consulting Group we have been involved in providing solutions for workplace violence for several years now. With the recent rash of school massacres (Littleton CO, April 20th) and office shootings (Atlanta, July 29th) around the country this year, we thought it was time to review some of the facts about workplace violence, how to help prevent it, and some of the laws pertaining to employers and employer liability.

According to one study by the Workplace Violence Research Institute, every workday, an estimated 16,400 threats are made, 723 workers are attacked, and 43,800 workers are harassed. Although rampage shootings make the headlines, a more common form of workplace violence is the "nonfatal" kind. This includes all behaviors, and circumstances that threaten an employee's physical safety, including verbal, sexual or physical assaults, threats, robberies, thefts, coercion, intimidation, stalking, and harassment.

(See BCG News Article You Can Prevent Liability from Workplace Conflicts)

Domestic Violence and Workplace Violence

One of the most common known causes of workplace violence today is domestic violence that spills over into the workplace. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the alleged assailant in about one in every six homicides of women at work is a current or former husband or boyfriend. Domestic violence costs employers billions of dollars each year.

"Companies lose anywhere from #3 to $5 billion per year in absenteeism, medical bills, employee turnover and lost productivity because of domestic violence", states a 1990 study conducted by the Bureau of National Affairs. That was nearly ten years ago.

(See BCG News Article Domestic Abuse & Workplace Violence - A Liability Issue for Employers)

Types of Workplace Violence