Companies must forget the notion that workplace violence "can never happen here"

• Each week, in the US, about 20 employees are murdered and 18,000 are assulted while working.
• "Centrelink Rage ... the shaken staff member had suffered bruising to her back" Fraser Coast Chronicle, Nov 15 2004.

A survey by the Society of Human Resource Management found that 45% of employees are worried that violence would erupt at their workplace. 39% of employees surveyed said they had been verbally threatened.

Homicide is the second-leading cause of death on the job behind motor vehicle crashes.

A survey of Fortune 1,000 companies reported domestic violence has a harmful effect on the company's productivity (49%), attendance (47%), and increases in insurance and medical costs (44%).

The cost of workplace violence is about $4 Billion annually in the USA, including propoerty damage, lost productivity, lost sales, and negligence lawsuits.

What does that mean for your business?

Workplace Violence has both measurable and immeasurable costs to companies. Some of the most obvious costs are those related to missed time by employees. If an employee misses work due to physical or emotional injury, the employer loses the benefit of that employee's labour, and possibly the medical costs for his/her care. But there are also hidden costs, such as increased premiums, cost to replace employees, increased training and supervision, and reduced productivity.

• Lost days at work: Over 500,000 workplace violence victims lost an average of 3.5 days of work.
• Decrease in productivity: 37% who report fears of violence had an impact on work performance in the form of lateness and missed work.
• Legal liability: Occupational safety and health laws generally require employers to maintain a safe workplace, which may include a violence-free workplace. On the average, it costs the company US$53,000 per event in law suits, workers compensation claims, and public image problems.

How Betterlife Directions can help

Violence in the wokrplace is caused by a variety of factors, including job stress, job-related conflict, layoffs and retrenchment, alcohol and drug abuse, accessibility of weapons, and domestic problems carried over from the home. Violence rarely happens without violence. Employers and employees can prevent workplace violence.

Betterlife Directions's Employee Assistance Services provides evaluation and assessment, information referral, and solution focussed counselling on any of the above issues.

In addition, Betterlife Directions offers Management

Click here to fill in our online EAP enquiry/quote request form.

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