Addressing Workplace Violence

No one is surprised by the dominating reports of violence on the nightly news. Stories of violence in our streets, our cities, and our neighborhoods are commonplace. The one place people traditionally feel safe is at their workplace.

Violence in the workplace is caused by a variety of factors, including job stress, job-related conflict, layoffs and firings, alcohol and drug abuse, accessibility of weapons, and domestic problems carried over from the home.

According to EAP Digest, January/February 1998, one million violent incidents are reported to take place in American workplaces each year and experts believe this figure represents only half the actual number of incidents that occur.

Employers today are faced with taking a proactive approach in preventing workplace violence.  The best method to implement such an approach requires a structure that coordinates the efforts of labor, management, EAP, human resources, legal or corporate counsel, training, and security.

No longer can employers ignore the issue of workplace violence.  The legal and financial risks to the employer are enormous.  By law, employers are responsible for providing a safe workplace and could find themselves subject to lawsuits if a violent incident occurs.

WORKPLACE RESOURCES can provide education, awareness, and the training necessary to establish and maintain a safe workplace.  Our program’s focus is on how to prevent, defuse, and recover from workplace violence incidents.