Workplace violence is a phenomenon that is becoming more and more common with the upheaval of the last few years, as well as an increase in gun violence. It’s important to know what sort of warning signs to look for in employees. And how to respond in a dangerous situation. The best way to prevent any sort of disgruntled employee violence is to promote a healthy working environment for everybody. In addition, providing your employees with support systems like access to counselors or mental health professionals can greatly decrease incidences of violence. Finally, creating a plan in case of attack as well as increasing security measures can also keep your employees safe. Hopefully, you can avoid any workplace violence by promoting a healthy workplace environment that provides plenty of support to employees who are struggling.
Preventing Workplace Violence: Keeping Everybody Safe
What Is It?
While mass shootings are what typically grab the headlines, there are many forms of workplace violence. Some don’t even involve physical contact. For example, bullying, threats, and stalking all fall into this category. In addition, physical assaults, sexual assault, and shootings are all also examples.
Warning Signs
One of the ways to help mitigate workplace violence is to know the warning signs ahead of time. It doesn’t happen in a vacuum; there are often indicators that an employee is in emotional distress. For example, if their work is suddenly poor, they have signs of depression, erratic behavior, violent outbursts, or are talking about weapons. Any employee that is suddenly acting very differently should be a reason to check on them.
Healthy Environment
The best way to prevent workplace violence is to create a healthy office environment. An environment that isolates employees, creates hostility or heightens stress can cause higher incidences of violence. In addition, giving employees access to services like mental health counseling can be very helpful in addressing potential outbursts. And finally, giving employees a safe place where they can report any violence or threats is also important.
Security
Unfortunately, even in a healthy office environment, sometimes workplace violence can still happen. It’s important to train employees to know what to do in these situations. Make sure that they know who to contact if they are feeling threatened or worried about a fellow employee. Create emergency plans for things like active shooters. Make sure that all employees are well trained in what to do in an emergency. Increasing security can also be helpful if you are concerned.
Workplace violence is something that nobody wants to think about, but unfortunately, does happen. While mass shootings or physical assaults are incredibly dangerous, workplace violence can also include things like threats and stalking. To help maintain a safe work environment, know the warning signs to watch for in employees that might indicate an emotional break is coming. In addition, maintain a healthy and happy work environment that gives employees access to mental health services. Finally, train employees so they know how to respond to emergencies. Hopefully, you’ll never have to deal with workplace violence, but it’s best to be prepared for anything.