According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BIS), workplace violence affects 1.7 million people each year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) reported 11,613 workplace homicide victims between 1992 and 2006. Averaging just under 800 homicides per year, the largest number of homicides in one year occurred in 1994, while the lowest number occurred in 2006 (CDC). This has become a serious concern and companies now have to take a stand to protect their employees as well as the organization. Workplace violence can have a damaging effect on a company. A company can suffer serious implications if they don’t introduce policies in the workplace that protect employees from becoming a target. Families affected can sue a company for not having proper procedures in place to protect their loved ones. Millions are paid out every year to compensate for the damages incurred. My paper will outline policies and procedures a company can adopt to make the workplace a safer environment. There are a number of factors that needs to be considered when this type of violence occurs. So what is workplace violence? Workplace violence is any type of threat or hostility acted out against workers. It can occur in or out of the workplace and can range from threats and verbal abuse, to physical assaults and homicide. This has become one of the leading causes of job-related deaths (OSHA). Workplace violence can happen at any given point in time to anyone. No one is untouchable. Workplace violence can be caused by a number of underlying factors which can include but is not limited to alcohol and drug abuse, job loss, depression, mental illnesses, or an accumulation of debt. In addition, when people are mistr... ... middle of paper ... ...nowing that if this occurs, all incidences will be addressed and a thorough investigation will be carried out. Precautionary practices that could be implemented: • Provide safety education for employees • Update employees monthly on safety precautions that can be utilized • Surveillance cameras should be visible to deter perpetrators • Encourage employees to report all incidences • Install ADP systems • Effective lighting can discourage perpetrators • Look for warning signs - disruptive behavior, uneasiness • Threat assessment teams can be formed to review and respond to reported physical, verbal, or threatened violence The end result is that everyone wants to come to work in an environment that is stress free and safe. A business needs to make a concrete commitment to the health and security of its employees. Let’s not wait until it’s too late.
Domestic violence affects the victim physically often times causing injuries that could lead to hospitalization or death, psychologically involving gaining control over the victim as well, and socially by isolating them from family and friends. When we think of the effects of domestic violence it becomes clear that it not only affects the victim and the family but as in recent years, the violence can spill beyond the walls of the home into the neighborhood and the workplace resulting in what has become more and more common, domestic violence related workplace shootings. Domestic v...
“Threats of workplace violence and aggression have emerged as important and very serious safety and health issue in today’s workplace” (van Emmerik, Euwema, & Bakker, p. 152, 2007). With this thought in mind, the intent of this case assignment is to analyze the situation of Betty Smith a newly acquired HR (human resource) Director at Company XYZ in regards to workplace violence. Hence, the CEO of Company XYZ inquires of Betty on what strategies can be implemented to prohibit such a calamity. Thus, Betty contacts a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) for their advice. That being the case, this paper will annotate some potential questions her friend would ask regarding the situation. Moreover, I will communicate my thoughts on
Programs to prevent workplace violence improve the work environment, job satisfaction, staff retention, productivity, and quality of care. Ongoing education related to the organization’s mission, values and code of conduct, as well as communication skills development, guide the individual to choose the most appropriate response when faced with work place violence." Ongoing education is essential because it reinforces what was being said or done in a positive
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides an annual count of fatal work injuries in the United States, including workplace homicides. From 2006 to 2010, an average of 551 workers per year were killed as a result of work-related homicides. In 2010 (the last year for which final data are available), CFOI reported a total of 518 workplace homicides, or 11 percent of all fatal work injuries that occurred that year. A total of 77 of those were multiple-fatality homicide incidents in which two or more workers were killed, including 69 homicides and 8 assailant suicides, all of whom were in work status at the time of the incident. These figures have been brought into public view due to recent tragedies around the country such as Sandy Hook Elementary School (2012), Virginia Tech (2007), and Fort Hood (2007).
An example of a clinical situation from my past nursing experience in which I was the victim of vertical violence occurred at MCI The Doctors Office, a couple of months after obtaining my first job as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN). My experience of workplace violence was in the form of verbal abuse which left me with numerous mixed emotions. The lead physician at the clinic whom I will call Dr. T yelled at me in front of other physicians, staff and clients because I triaged a patient and wrote the information in the wrong chart. The manner in which I was insulted left me feeling helpless, emotionally scared and with a decreased sense of self-worth.
Trossman, S. (2010). Not ‘Part of the job’ Nurses Seek an End to Workplace Violence.
Workplace violence is scary and intense. It doesn’t matter who you are in the situation, the victim, onlooker, or even the committer, it is frightening. When something happens to push an employee over the edge into violent action, many other employees are inadvertently involved. I observed a case of workplace violence many years ago, but I will not forget it anytime soon.
Workplace violence is a frustrating issue confronting businesses today. While more data on the reason for violence and how to handle it is getting known, there is frequently no sensible basis for this sort of behavior and, in spite of all that we know or do, fierce circumstances happen. No superintendent is resistant from working environment brutality and no manager can completely anticipate it.Workplace violence can cause many issues for a business, from extra expense, to how to deal with the problem, and prevent it from happening in the future.
...k place, the consequences are often so widespread that an early intervention is the only option if the organization is to be saved from destruction. In most cases, cases of aggressive mentality are not dealt with on time, they may strain relations within the workforce and hamper performance.
Most individuals probably look forward to work in an environment that is composed of professional and competitive staff. A positive working environment promotes efficiency, productivity, performance, teamwork and camaraderie. However, despite the effort of keeping the working environment positive and conducive, there are still employers who are insensitive of their conducts and behaviors in the workplace. Some of unethical code of conducts shown by employee are intimidation or bullying, sexual harassment, rude and loud comments, offensive and abusive language, persistent lateness in joining activities and attending meetings without valid and reasonable cause, vexatious litigation, retribution, and violent threats, passive aggression like refusal of performing assigned task, demands for special attention and treatment, uncooperative behavior during regular activities, unwillingness to talk about issues and concerns with colleagues in respectful and cordial manner, excessive criticisms and so on. This list can go on
Mayhew, C., McCarthy, P., Chappell, D., Quinlan, M., Barker, M. & Sheehan, M. (2004). Measuring the extent of impact from occupational violence and bullying on traumatized workers. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 16(3), 117–134.
“Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States” (Jones 87). Every twelve seconds, a woman is beaten by a man (Jones 6). Every nine days, a woman is murdered by her husband or boyfriend (Jones 7). Statistics like these outline the severity and seriousness of the domestic violence epidemic in this country. Unfortunately, it has taken lawmakers too long to recognize domestic violence as a devastating situation that affects millions of people both physically and emotionally. Domestic violence affects not just people, but businesses as well. Domestic violence results in high turnover and absenteeism at work, extended sick leave, and losses in productivity (Jones 12). The financial cost of domestic violence on business productivity helped facilitate government intervention towards addressing domestic violence, and encouraged laws protecting victims of this type of abuse.
Violence is all around us; we see it portrayed in one form or another everyday. It has become commonplace to see it on TV and in our own environment. To the average person this has become an acceptable part of life, along with taking personal precautions to prevent it from happening to them. However, there are a small few that need attention and see violence as a way to get their message across. Unfortunately, the media is right there to dramatize it for all to see. As future public administrators we must be aware of potential workplace violence from not only potential customers but from our employees and co-workers as well. We must equip ourselves with the tools necessary to prevent the potential for workplace violence to protect our employees, customers and ourselves. The ability to identify which workplaces have a higher risk factor then others will be to our benefit and add to our effectiveness as an administrator.
Workplace violence is any action or verbal menacing with the intent to inflict physical or psychological violence on others. The US Department of Labor defines workplace violence as “An action (verbal, written, or physical aggression) which is intended to control or cause, or is capable of causing, death or serious bodily injury to oneself or others, or damage to property. Workplace violence includes abusive behavior toward authority, intimidating or harassing behavior, and threats.”("Definitions," n.d.)
Employee mistreatment is a major liability for any organization. Mistreatment can take a variety of forms in the workplace. One broad definition of the term enumerates various forms that mistreatment can take, including “interpersonal injustice, abusive supervision, social undermining, tyranny, and bullying” (Mayer et al., 2012, p. 24). This essay groups employee mistreatment into four categories: abusive supervision, bullying, incivility, and sexual harassment. These categories often overlap and vary in severity, and they represent a cross-section of the various forms of maltreatment that employees might encounter in virtually any workplace. This is an important issue not only because of the ethically objectionable nature of such behavior in any isolated incident, but because of the widespread nature of the phenomenon. One study finds that an estimated 13.6 percent of employees have experienced abusive supervision, and that 65-75 percent of employees report that their boss is “the worst part of their jobs in any given organization” (Zhang & Bednall, 2016, p. 455).