The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that every year, a staggering two million people in the United States are victimized by some form of non-fatal workplace violence. DOL statistics further estimate that 1,000 homicides annually are attributed to violence in the confines of the work environment.

These numbers are inclusive of not just current disgruntled employees lashing out against co-workers, but consider workplace violence in other forms, including external crime threats, such as robbery, frustrated or dissatisfied customers or clients, former employees, or domestic incidents that follow an employee to work.

Employers have a duty to provide a safe workplace and this means having a strong workplace violence prevention program.

When developing a program to prevent workplace violence, consider the wealth of information and guidelines available from government and private sector sources, such as the DOL’s Workplace Violence Program. Also, consider that the most successful workplace violence programs incorporate a true assessment of the workplace environment, security, education, and a dedicated monitoring and awareness of employee behavior on the individual level. … Continue reading