Employee violence is any physical threat or action of disruptive behaviors like violence and harassment occurring at the workplace. It occurs in various forms like employee-employer demonstrations, employee-employee violence, or employee-outsider disruptions for workers with direct contact with the public within the business compounds or its neighborhood. Human resource professionals have reported that their organizations experience some form of violence every year. Although there are many indicators of employee violence, the major signs are crisis and emotional escalation. To avoid the damages that result from employee violence, organizational management has significant responsibilities of identifying possible indicators of its occurrence and develop preventive strategies. Besides, the employees can themselves avoid violence by embracing diversity and adhering to anti-harassment policies in the company.
Employee violence may take different forms and may manifest in different ways, such as interpersonal conflicts and withdrawal. Employee violence to mature to management visibility occurs in three stages: anger generation, emotional escalations, and crisis. Sometimes the process occurs in rapid succession, within minutes, while other times, the signs unfold over a long duration. Among the indicators of employee violence is excessive whining or interpersonal conflict, especially if the individual is content at work (Arnetz et al., 2018). Whenever a competent worker begins complaining abnormally, it could be an early sign of violence. Another indicator is the withdrawal of some workers. When an employee begins to retreat into his/her shell could demonstrate coping difficulties. The third indicator includes changes from employee's typical behavior. For example, if an introverted and reserved worker suddenly begins socializing and chattering, the management should consider keeping an eye on him/her. Similarly, an extrovert can point out a problem by suddenly retreating and growing silent.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The fourth indicator is obsessive thought patterns and conservations. When an individual begins to rant against the machine or the management could be a sign of violence build up. Also, an individual could start talking incessantly about life's unfairness. Another indicator is unreasonably dramatic employees' demands (Sheely, 2018). Every worker knows the tasks that require time to be implemented within the organization. When an employee begins to insist on immediate response impatiently could signal some form of danger; for instance, when an employee demands to see the CEO immediately, it suggests he/she is troubled. Another indicator is personal insults; a usually respectful worker flying off the ordinary attacks may be a sign of violence. The management should always observe these indicators as they may be signs of violence in the workplace.
With these indicators, the management is expected to perform specific actions to prevent workplace violence. One action is developing a written intolerance policy towards employee violence (Ali & Ali, 2014). Another action is the provision of organization training about workplace violence emphasizing employee's reporting of adverse incidents. Employees need to be educated on what to consider in expected violence, how to report, and the immediate response to the action. The third management action is developing an easy and potentially confident reporting system to encourage quick reports of all concerns (McCabe, 2020). A good management system allows employees' involvement in decision-making which helps develop a healthy relationship between employees and managers, allowing them to open up in adverse occurrences. Lastly, the management should utilize the expertise bodies to conduct a threat assessment and investigations and enhancing security upgrades. Such assessment would help the management to know whether the workplace is safe for the employees. All these preventive measures would be essential in ensuring that there are no forms of violence in the workplace.
Besides preventing internal employee violence, the management is also responsible for preventing employee violence from direct contact with the public. For example, violence could build up from an employee's family member or friend who might distract organizational performance or from the public and directed to the organization. Therefore, the management should apply physical barriers to protect employees, install door locks for staff-only regions, and control access to the facility to prevent violence. Additionally, the management should install silent alarms, CCTV monitors, and panic buttons for advance identification of distractions. Furthermore, the organization should be sufficiently staffed to enhance a safe working environment. Other helpful installations include mirrors and raised platforms, bright and effective lighting, and exit door height markers to help workers watch their backs and evade the various causes of harm. Lastly is limiting the amount of liquid cash within the facility and utilizing drop safes and post signs.
Moreover, employees can protect themselves from workplace violence in various ways. One way is engaging in safety committees that often get reports of potential violence to facilitate inspection and implementation of corrective strategies (OSHA, 2016). Another way is participating in developing violence prevention policies and programs. The third way is to identify and note activities that expose them to violence. Also, employees must always retain memorable communication contacts to various alternatives for reporting and recording emergent incidents of violence for immediate and appropriate response (OSHA, 2016). They should also ensure that there are policies put in place addressing their voicing concerns and injuries without necessarily raising an alarm. Another way is participating in training programs for preventing violence (OSHA, 2016). Additionally, it is wise for workers to investigate their colleagues at the highest risk of causing violence for a cautious approach during interactions. Following these preventive measures would ensure that employees are not subjected to any violence at the workplace.
In conclusion, employee violence is a common occurrence in many organizations associated with variable losses ranging from minor to severe destruction of resources. Workplace violence affects employees psychologically, which significantly affects their performance. Although such incidents occur, there are always indicators that could be considered in advance to prevent the actual crisis. Therefore, the management is always expected to lay an eye on every operation to identify the violence indicators and perform the expected actions, such as developing anti-harassment policies to prevent its occurrence. The larger societies in which specific facilities operate significantly impact the occurrence and prevention of employee violence. Moreover, employees should learn how to protect themselves from workplace violence.
References
Ali, S. M. & Ali, R. (2014). A review of the causes of workplace violence and its preventive measures-The management perspective. Journal of Social Science Research, 4 (3), 604-607. http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/2.1.2798.6564
Arnetz, J., Hamblin, L. E., Sudan, S., & Arnetz, B. (2018). Organizational Determinants of Workplace Violence Against Hospital Workers. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine , 60 (8), 693–699. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001345
McCabe, P. (2020). Designing a workplace violence prevention and recovery program. Nursing2020 Critical Care , 15 (5), 40-46.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). (2016). Guidelines for preventing workplace violence for healthcare and social service workers . https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3148.pdf
Sheely, G. (2018). Know when to act to prevent workplace violence. Professional Safety , 63 (5), 42-43.
