subject: Violence in the Workplace: Learn the Facts So You Can Identify the Signs [print this page] In looking over the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for the last ten years, assaults and violent acts in the workplace continue as one of the top three leading causes of death of employees. Today's statistics continue to show this chilling trend:
In 2009, an average of 15 employees were killed each week as a result of workplace violence.
75% of workplace homicides occur at the hands of robbers and other assailants.
17% of workplace homicides occur at the hands of coworkers and customers/clients.
It is truly distressing to know that every time an employee walks through the doors of their employer, they are at risk of becoming a victim of a workplace crime. For this reason, it's important for employers and employees alike to take time to learn the facts about violence in the workplace, as well as the tell-tale signs that, when identified and dealt with early enough, can help save lives.
High-Risk Jobs
According to recent data, the top three occupations with the highest rate of workplace fatalities due to assaults and violent acts are: (1) sales and sales-related positions; (2) management positions, and (3) protective service occupations, such as law enforcement.
Aside from the heartless murders, it's important to remember that thousands of employees are injured as a result of workplace violence every year. The majority of those employees also work in the above high-risk occupations.
With robbery being at the forefront of these violent acts, one can understand the risks associated with certain high-risk jobs. Some locations and businesses, such as gas stations and convenience stores are often viewed by criminals as prime sources for cash and other valuables. In such cases, it's often the business itself that's targeted, with the employee becoming a victim during the crime. But with shootings, stabbings, and other violent acts taking place in professional office buildings, with employes singled out by disgruntled coworkers and customers, no job is truly safe from violent crime.
Criminal Profile
The majority of employees that carry out violence in the workplace are between the ages of 25 and 45. Approximately 80% of them are men, and many have worked for their employer for several years. They are often described as being "loners" and routinely unhappy employees. It is also very common for them to have problems with authority figures.
The profile of an employee that goes on a rampage suggests that they tend to place blame on those around them, never taking responsibility for their mistakes. They don't adapt to change very well and can become easily suspicious and even paranoid of their coworkers. Many of these disgruntled employees believe most everyone in the workplace is against them and that they are purposely being singled out and overpassed for pay raises and promotions by their supervisors.
No one can explain what truly drives a coworker or customer to want to injure or kill an employee. However, experts agree that the angry emotions associated with these heinous crimes are usually evident before the incident.
Signs and Triggers
Although the media may lead us to believe that employees who kill are normal people who just "lose it" one day, this is far from true. In just about every case involving a workplace homicide, detectives have been able to identify several signs of the killer being aggravated, angry, and hateful towards their victim(s). Signs often include:
A pattern of harassment.
Rude comments.
Other dehumanizing behaviors that transfer blame onto others.
In many cases of disgruntled employees, their negative conduct increases over time and often includes what could be easily perceived as empty verbal threats. It's very important for employers and coworkers to watch for changes in the employee's attendance, productivity, personal hygiene, behavior, and social patterns.
Experts agree that employees who carry out premeditated violence in the workplace often do so as a result of multiple years of unresolved emotional issues and conflict. Problems with drugs and alcohol, family pressures, and financial difficulties often intensify their negative feelings and interfere with their ability to cope.
Unstable employees are also often triggered into violence by certain workplace events. How an employer handles such an event can either add to or diffuse the escalation of a potentially violent outburst. Common events that trigger workplace violence include:
Termination of employment.
Layoff.
Negative employee evaluation.
Passing over the employee for a promotion or raise.
In numerous cases, it was one of the above events that caused an already disgruntled employee to carry out a violent act against their employer. Although the offending manager or supervisor is often the prime target, some of these angry employees have been known to go on rampages, injuring and taking the lives of coworkers, customers, and even family and friends.
Workplace violence often involves personal issues and stressors unrelated to employment. Because of this, it's not an easy problem to resolve. As a result, employers are encouraged to take a zero-tolerance stance on violence among employees in the workplace. Having a system in place that allows employees to vent their frustrations can also be helpful.
In addition, all managers and supervisors should be trained on how to identify the early warning signs and what steps to take when an employee is considered a work-violence risk. Like many of today's problems, awareness, education and communication are the means to reducing the risks associated with workplace violence.
Violence in the Workplace: Learn the Facts So You Can Identify the Signs
