How to Reduce Workplace Violence

Author: Neil Patrick

Author: Neil Patrick

The chief objective of an organization is to keep itself afloat in the face of vigorous and unrelenting competition. The second factor in the order of priority is people concerns. An organization succeeds or fails on the basis of its management, the age-old mechanism of getting work done through others. It is the people business that, if neglected, can spell disaster. Workplace violence is often perceived by management as a mere annoyance, just another workplace scourge like sexual harassment. Both certainly do qualify as workplace scourges worthy of management scrutiny, but workplace violence kills people and those who manage to survive it are never again the same. Unfortunately, workplace violence usually does not get the required attention from the CEO. It is generally the human resources manager who is given instructions to deal with the problem. Many times this is done without any serious commitment from the CEO to see that the issue is thoroughly addressed. Precisely due to lack of emphasis from the top man, many CEOs have been forced to revisit the issue of workplace violence in the context of a costly and time-consuming lawsuit for negligence or wrongful death against the organization. Even in the midst of intense media coverage of workplace violence incidents, the leadership of many organizations still fail to act to address the problem. The organization should review the following dimensions of its work site: Management style Organizational roles and responsibilities with regard to the workplace violence prevention program if one already exists. Management's attitude and involvement regarding employee assistance programs and employee training Management's approach to performance evaluations, promotions and rewards Management's philosophy regarding teamwork does management set itself apart from the work force? To what extent to company policies treat all employees the same? What is the company's experience and management's attitude regarding interdepartmental cooperation? Lateral and vertical communications? Stress Stress is the natural, human, physical and psychological reaction to any adverse stimuli, whether caused by on-the-job or external factors. This is a major contributor to workplace violence. Naturally, the causes of stress vary greatly among organizations. Following is a list of stress-related issues that deserve special attention. The work environment should emphasize common goals and cooperation. When employees carry out tedious and boring tasks, management should be sensitive to address the effect of repetition and the company should offer employee-friendly schedules, such as flexible days off etc. Care should be taken to ensure that employees are well-suited to the job, are adequately compensated for their skill level and are treated professionally. Reasonable work accommodations is an important factor and employees should not be made to tolerate noise, bad air, cramped quarters, poor equipment, and other irritants. In short, the hygiene factors are crucial. Do employees have concerns about job security? Are they given support through programs such as employee assistance, counseling, and stress management programs? Training Task-related training improves productivity and employee job satisfaction. The complexity of today's working environment requires a host of employment-related instructions. Employees have to have at least a working knowledge of many of the laws affecting the organization or industry. What is and what is not permissible is frequently a mystery to employees and only clarification in the classroom will remedy the situation. Trends Trends are frequently important indicators of how well or how poorly a company manages its workforce. Trends in absenteeism, tardiness, accident rates, volunteerism, and attendance at company functions identify strengths or weaknesses in employee morale, loyalty, and job satisfaction. Among the essential things the management should examine are productivity; employee turnover (including reasons given by the employees); terminations for cause, suspensions, and other disciplinary actions; absenteeism and the reasons given; on-the-job accidents and their causes; other security and safety issues; employee complaints about working conditions; lawsuits filed against the company by employees and clients. Gathering Data An accurate assessment of the work environment cannot be made without candid input from employees at all levels. Unfortunately, employees may be reluctant to speak honestly for fear of reprisal. Senior management must communicate to each employee that total honesty during the interview is not only desirable but also essential. A management style that makes staff worry about "informers" is counterproductive. Employees must further be assured that comments will be given in confidence and with anonymity. Findings will not be associated with any one employee's remarks. Employees must never face repercussions for voicing their opinions. The author is an expert in wiring custom essays/dissertations in the field of human resource management. He has been with the company for some years as a senior writer.About the Author:

Neil Patrick is one of the senior staff writers at essayacademia.com, specialized in dissertation writing for master and Ph.D. students. He has been with the company for over five years. EssayAcademia provides you with professionally prepared free draft for your dissertations. You need to place order for completed paper once you are satisfied with draft, for which you need to make no payment at all. To avail this unique service visit essayacademia now and place order for professionally prepared free draft

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