Workplace violence: causes, prevention, and workplace safety

Workplace Violence

Violence in the workplace is an everyday event that affects employees throughout the nation. It must be addressed, clearly defined, and possible solutions presented that will eventually identify the potential aggressor and victim. According to the United States Department of Justice (1998) the workplace is the most dangerous place to be in America. In fact, workplace homicide is the fastest growing category of murder in the United States (U.S. Department of Justice, 1998). However the real danger is the ever-present problem of physical and verbal violence.

In this paper, the concept of workplace violence is defined and several examples are given for reference. The paper will discuss the responsibility of the Human Resources Management team to identify a potential problem before violence occurs, and also prevent work place violence through adequate and necessary training of employees. Research will be discussed that explains how to deal with workplace violence after it occurs, and the liability for the Human Resources Management team when failing to acknowledge workplace violence or having a policy in place that addresses the problem.

A brief historical background will be offered, but the body will concentrate on several causes of the problem, list financial effects where violence has occurred, and offer possible management solutions to the problems created by potential aggressors. Companies have many things to learn about identifying the employee who will become violent, but training is available to help in this area. Employers need to be willing to invest money, time, and faith to protect the employees and customers from becoming victims to someone else's anger and aggressions.

The growing concerns facing business and the issue of violence in the workplace has evoked the expertise of the Occupations, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop guidelines that address the problem. These guidelines should put in place by the Human Resources Management team. OSHA (2001) has declared workplace violence as an important safety and heath issue in today's workplace and encourages employers to develop workplace violence prevention programs. Additionally, OHSA has developed guidelines and recommendations to reduce worker exposure to this hazard but is not initiating rule making at this time.

By facing workplace violence and properly training company employees, the Human Resource Department will eliminate many hazards and legal problems that might otherwise occur on the job. Without addressing these issues, legalities and permanent problems will become a reality which will always follow the company to create a negative reputation for the organization. It is the job of the Human Resource Department to learn how to recognize the signs of stress and inform the employee of programs that are available. Once the employee is informed of the options available that will train them to deal with stress, it is then that employees responsibility.

This paper discusses a review of literature with research based information that offers documentation of how management is responsible for employee training, and the identification of workplace issues that might result in violence. It is the responsibility of a company's management team to learn how to identify potential problems before they erupt and cause a situation that might become irreversible. Violence in the workplace is an ongoing concern and companies are constantly addressing how to implement safety programs that will create a safe and productive work environment.

Workplace Violence

Introduction of the Issue: Workplace Violence

Violent acts perpetrated against employees at work are a major cause of workplace mortality. In 1997, 856 homicides and 212 suicides occurred at work. Combined, these violent acts constituted the major cause of work-related deaths. In addition to being a humanitarian concern, violent acts are a major cost for employers. One study estimates that workplace violence costs employers between $6.4 and $36 billion in lost productivity, diminished public image, insurance expenses, increased security, and other related factors (Speer, 1998).

Homicide is the second major cause of death at work for both men and women (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1997). It should be noted, however, that outsiders perpetrate most homicides in industries with direct public contact. This is reflected in occupations at high risk for violence such as employees and owners of small grocery and convenience stores, hotel clerks, gas station workers, law enforcement officers, and other publicly linked occupations (Neuman, 1998).

Workplace violence seems to have two definitions. The one perpetrated by the media is an armed, disgruntled employee or client who shoots selectively or indiscriminately at employees, supervisors and managers. However, studies have shown that the real threat workers face is more accurately described by the Workplace Violence Research Institute (Mattman, 2001) is definition: Any act against an employee that creates a hostile work environment and negatively affects the employee, either physically or psychologically. These acts include all types of physical or verbal assaults, threats, coercion, intimidation and all forms of harassment.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Lord, 1998) 750 people have been murdered at work each year since 1980. Over two million Americans are attacked each year and another six million workers are threatened while at their place of employment. These figures point out the real dangers, dangerous employers cannot afford to ignore. Even if employers weren't concerned with the decency factor, they should be concerned about the cost and lost productivity caused by these acts.

History of Violence in the Workplace

Incidents of work related violence were virtually unheard of until the 1970's. Since then, it has more than tripled. As companies downsize, reorganize, reengineer, and demand more of each employee, stress levels increase to the breaking point, causing work-related violence to escalate.

Most experts agree those social issues; especially substance abuse, illegal drugs, layoffs, and poverty are major contributors to occupational violence. The fact that guns can easily be obtained is a factor for violent crime in the workplace. Excessive graphic violence on TV and in movies, language and ethnic differences among workers, and the general acceptance of violence as a form of communication by a large segment of our population are other causes frequently cited by those closely associated with this problem.

Preventing workplace violence isn't the employees' only concern, and it isn't just watching out for the disgruntled former worker who might return to work armed with a couple of semiautomatic weapons. Companies must guard against all risks faced by employees. It is the responsibility of Human Resources Management to identify a potential problem before violence occurs. An effective workplace violence prevention program includes physical security, pre-employment screening, good termination practices, employee assistance programs, out placement and a host of other options.

In response to the violence that was occurring on the job, the Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed some guidelines to address the problem. These guidelines should put in place by the Human Resources Management team. OSHA (2001) has declared workplace violence as an important safety and heath issue in today's workplace and encourages employers to develop workplace violence prevention programs. Additionally, OHSA has developed guidelines and recommendations to reduce worker exposure to this hazard but is not initiating rule making at this time. OSHA makes the following statement in reference to violence in the workplace: "OSHA does not have a specific standard for workplace violence. However, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the General Duty Clause governs the extent of an employer's obligation to address workplace violence. The General Duty Clause provides that: Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees. OSHA's commitment is to encourage employers to develop workplace violence prevention programs."

OSHA's guidelines and recommendations are based upon four basic elements. First, management commitment and employee involvement is necessary and should included clear goals for worker security at smaller sites or a written program for larger organizations. Next, an on the job analysis must involve the identification of high-risk situations through employee surveys, workplace visits to include reviews of injury and illness data. Third, hazard prevention and control calls for designing engineering, administrative and work practice controls to prevent or limit violent incidents. Finally, training and education to ensure employees know about potential security hazards and ways to protect themselves and their co-workers.

Causes of Workplace Violence study that was conducted by Donald Gibson and Sigal Barsade (1999) of the Yale School of Management surveyed one thousand workers. The workers were asked, "In general, how angry do you feel at work? The result showed that almost a quarter of the employees (23.3%) admitted feeling "at least somewhat angry at work." The study's authors found that such feelings of anger are associated with feelings of betrayal by the organization, a sense that promises are not kept, that there is a lack of respect and dignity shown the respondent, and that the worker and the organization do not share the same values.

When questioned about what caused them to feel angry, 11% cited the cause as a supervisor or management's action; 9% blamed their feelings on incompetent associates and heavy workloads. Other factors cited were dealing with customers and lack of cooperation of other people.

The study concluded that, whereas overt anger captures the attention, it's the underground, chronic anger that should be getting more of management's time. It manifests itself in subtle ways, if at all. Angry workers are less likely to put their best efforts into their job; are more apt to be competitive, rather than cooperative, in dealing with their associates; and less likely to tell the boss if they find a better or quicker way to get their job done.

Monahan (1992) emphasizes the importance of identifying potentially volatile situations before they reach the point of violence. This emphasis broadens the definition of workplace violence to include verbal forms of violence, as well as physical. Other experts in the area of workplace violence encourage employers to include verbal forms of violence, such as threats, harassment, and intimidation, in their violence prevention policies (Labig, 1995).

Jobs that appear to be high risk have found the following factors to be associated with workplace violence:

Exchanging money;

Working alone at night and during early morning hours;

Having money, valued items, jewelry, or other items that are easily exchanged for cash;

Performing public safety functions in the community;

Working with patients, clients, or customers known to have or suspected of having a history of violence; and Working with employees with a history of assaults or who exhibit belligerent, intimidating, or threatening behavior toward others. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1993).

Identifying jobs with these high-risk factors highlights not only the features of the assailant but also the assailant's relationship with the victim. Acts of violence from strangers in cases where money is exchanged, employees are working at vulnerable places or times, or employees are responsible for valuable materials are primarily acts of instrumental aggression used to commit an act of robbery. In contrast to the stranger relationship, clients, patients, and even subordinates or coworkers who have used violent behavior in the past will often continue using violence for a number of reasons including a means to get their needs met and reduce frustration. The need to consider the relationship between victim and assailant is also important (Jenkins, 1996).

Characteristics of Violent Behavior Patterns

There are eight categories of behavior patterns that are recognized for intervention (McDonald, 2001). Although managers need to be trained to detect those behaviors, they should never point out an employee's potential to be violent. The Human Resources Management team should also to provide appropriate and adequate training for employees to prevent workplace violence. Instead they need to treat the behaviors exactly as they would treat tardiness. Intervention at this stage, which requires training and counseling, will encourage employees to either get the help they need or quit because they're fed up with being picked on.

The eight categories of high-risk behaviors include what is termed as actor behavior. This is a title that is used to describe the behavior of a worker who acts out of anger, such as throwing paper, yelling, or slamming doors, rather than working to resolve issues. Fragment behavior describes the behavior of an employee who sees no connection between his or her behavior and the outcome. "Me-first" behavior is common to employees that do whatever suits them, regardless of any negative impact on the company, team or customer.

Mixed-messenger behavior defines the behavior of a two-faced and "backstabbing" employee. Wooden-stick behavior, the behavior of an employee that is extremely rigid, inflexible and controlling. Escape artist behavior, describes the behavior for dealing with stress that may include lying or substance abuse.

A person's behavior that is extreme or that might be out of character is termed as "shocker behavior." A reliable employee who suddenly stops showing up, performing or dressing adequately for the job exhibits "shocker behavior." Stranger behavior is characterized by poor social skills, poor hygiene, becoming withdrawn, or talking to themselves.

To respond to these behaviors managers should learn to recognize then identify and document high-risk behaviors. Employees should be shown how the behaviors are interfering with their jobs. Referral may be made for employees to employee assistance programs or counseling. Management should only discuss the situation with the employee, human resources representatives and others who are directly involved.

How Public Relations Perceives the Affects of Workplace Violence management is just now starting to recognize the enormity of the financial consequences associated with an incident involving workplace violence (Mattman, 2001). The three most affected areas are costly litigation, lost productivity, and damage control. Companies are liable when the Human Resources department fails to acknowledge workplace violence or does not have a policy in place to address problem. Fifty five million dollars in wages are lost each year due to workplace violence. Almost two million days of work are lost each year due to this problem (Taylor, 1991). Research conducted revealed that multiple lawsuits were filed against the employer in each instance where the act resulted in deaths or injuries. The causes for the litigation involving acts of violence by employees are generally negligent hiring and negligent retention. Since most cases are settled out of court, accurate average costs are not known. There are, however, several recent awards in excess of 3 million dollars, including the $4.25 million awarded on December 3, 1993 to a postal employee shot by a co-worker in Dearborn, Michigan.

Lost productivity following an incident is frequently underestimated. Losses in productivity occur throughout the enterprise with decreases of up to 80% for up to two weeks immediately after the incident. The unavailability of the killed or injured worker causes a loss for the productivity output for the company. Work interruptions caused by police and internal security investigations and damage to the facility, time lost by surviving employees talking about the incident and the details leading up to it, decreased efficiency and productivity due to post-traumatic stress syndrome, and time spent by employees in counseling sessions.

Companies that experience a workplace violence related incident also have a dramatic increase in employee turnover and an equally dramatic drop in employee morale. Among the many reasons cited for these changes is the fact that most individuals readily accept responsibility for their own safety and security at home. However, almost all employees feel that it is the employer's duty to provide a safe work environment. Therefore, employees feel betrayed when a violent incident occurs at work. The direct financial consequences of turnover and low morale are hiring and training expenditures and decreased productivity.

Damage control has both tangible and intangible cost factors. Media accounts of the incident, whether accurate or not, and rumors that always follow, may influence the buying decisions of the firm's customers. Restoring the corporation's reputation following charges of incompetent or irresponsible management may require a major commitment of both human and financial resources.

Solutions and Management of Workplace Violence

All companies should have a policy for preventing and reporting workplace violence. Early training and identification skills can help risk managers and insurance companies in two ways. One, the violence will never occur, or second, if it does occur then the organization is in a better legal position for having offered the training in the first place

Rules and procedures should be clearly defined and written on paper. Creating an effective workplace violence policy begins with spelling out rules to workers. Many businesses form a committee consisting of managers, employees and human resources personnel who develop a policy based on the specific needs of the company. The committee creates consensus and fosters buy-in by employees. By allowing employees to have involvement, they gain a sense of ownership to the company and the development of rules or guidelines.

A company should review its' hiring policies. Companies would be practical to increase the use of background checks, reference verification and applicant screening to help identify potentially troubled workers. Potential employees might attend company-training sessions that outline procedures that the company endorses which would address workplace violence. Upon hiring, the employee would sign-off on the procedure training that material presented during training was understood and that company policy would be followed.

A grievance system should be developed and utilized. Offering disgruntled employees a place to voice their anger can stem violence. The forum to air a complaint could be a committee of managers and employees, or simply an open-door policy on the part of supervisors. Employers often discover that the source of a worker's rage is a personal crisis outside of work, and can suggesting proper counseling. Listening to employees with concerns about workplace violence is a key factor in protecting those who feel they may be in danger. Providing an environment in which employees will report such conditions is an important first step. Concerns may be motivated by circumstances such as a perceived hostile work environment, threats or physical action by fellow workers or supervisors, and actual criminal acts which occur at work.

Security personnel and measures should be implemented into the work environment. Assess the need for hiring security guards. Secure the building by offering workers only one entrance and exit. Require employees to enter using a security code or key card. Install cameras at critical locations in the building or provide protection for employees when they arrive or leave work. This is especially important in the early morning or late evening hours when it is still dark outside.

A layoff policy should be established. Elimination of jobs is becoming more common in today's workplace. The sting of a layoff still hurts even the most prepared employee. It is important; therefore, to have a termination policy that spells out exactly how a worker will be notified of a layoff, and how the employee will be escorted from the premises. The employer should have documentation to back-up a layoff or firing of an employee to provide justification for the action.

An organization should offer ongoing training. One simple control tactic is to provide adequate staffing and effective lighting for the work area. Managers need continual training to help identify potential problems and the latest methods for dealing with violent situations. Workers need training to help them with anger control. Current trends to curtail violence at work include outlining and defining certain behaviors. These include abusive language, hostile behavior, concealed weapons, sabotage, and contraband.

Management should be trained to recognize when employees might be under much stress and may have trouble with relationships at work. Signs include a change in work habits such as attendance in the way of overworking, working odd hours, or becoming lax about work schedules. Recurring illnesses as well as poor performance and an increased number of accidents can also signal an overstressed employee. Once an employer has learned to recognize the signs of stress, they are responsible for categorizing the stress as external or internal.