Workplace violence
[6] The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") a department of the United States Department of Labor defines workplace violence as "any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site.
[9] Following a June 2017 shooting spree when a former employee returned to his Orlando, Florida workplace to murder five co-workers before committing suicide Kathleen M. Bonczyk, Esq.
The third level of workplace violence are currently violent situations such as threatening to harm one's self or others by either physical means or using weapons, demonstration of extreme anger, or destruction of property.
[4] Perline and Goldschmidt [13] contend that the present definitions of workplace violence are simply descriptive and not based on motivation of the perpetrator.
Whether or not anger results in violence depends, in part, on the potential perpetrator's focus, and associated risk factors (see below).
If we consider suicide-by-cop, it has been suggested that somewhere between 25-50 percent of non-object-focused workplace homicides result in suicide.
Non-object-focused workplace violence is purposeful, occurs in stages, and is seldom if ever a spontaneous event.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recognizes the following behaviors as warning signs for potential perpetrators of workplace violence:[16] The National Safety Council also recognizes excessive use of drugs or alcohol as well as absenteeism, or change in job performance that is unexplained.
Paying attention to these warning signs and reporting them may help prevent events of workplace violence.
[18] The Lloyd’s Register foundation conducted a survey in 2021 to depict a global view of workplace violence.
The survey divided workplace violence and harassment into 3 categories: physical, psychological, and sexual.
In Europe and Central Asia psychological violence was reported 5 percent more in woman than in men.
On the other hand, in Africa Men reported higher rates of psychological violence by 2.3 percent.
[20] The International Labor Organization (ILO) has initiated multiple programs and regulations to help decrease the effect of workplace violence worldwide.
[21] The United States Department of Labor's purpose is to " promote a safe environment for our employees and the visiting public, and to work with our employees to maintain a work environment that is free from violence, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior".
5)[22] Therefore, the DOL has provided information in order to work towards their purpose of keeping the workplace safe for individuals.
They have also identified seven key factors to help prevent workplace violence:[4] It is also recommended that employers treat terminated employees with respect in order to avoid the feeling that they are being victimized.
[5] According to the Department of Homeland Security in the situation of workplace violence, while staying calm, one should run, hide, or fight.
[17] Dr. Arnold H. Buss, of the University of Texas at Austin (1961),[38] identified eight types of workplace aggression: In a study performed by Baron and Neuman,[39] researchers found pay cuts and pay freezes, use of part-time employees, change in management, increased diversity, computer monitoring of employee performance, reengineering, and budget cuts were all significantly linked to increased workplace aggression.
[40] Individuals who resort to mass shootings at work often threaten to kill before any actual violence takes place.
[41] In the United Kingdom there is a legal obligation to complete risk assessments for both physical and psychosocial workplace hazards.
Other countries have similar occupational health and safety legislation in place relating to identifying and either eliminating or controlling for hazards in the workplace.
Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states that, "every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of: The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety lists the following higher risk occupations.
According to estimates of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work was 15.1 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2012.
There are many contributing factors that can lead to health-care workers, specifically nurses, experiencing workplace violence.
A few environmental factors may include the specific setting, long waiting times, frequent interruptions, uncertainty regarding the patients' treatment, and heavy workloads.
Individual psychosocial factors may include nurses being young and inexperienced, previous experiences with violence, and a lack of communication skills and/or awareness of how to interpret aggressive situations.
