Workplace Violence
Violence in the Workplace Jeffrey Pugmire HRMN 300 Fall Term 2002 University of Maryland University College One just has to mention the phrase workplace violence and many different ideas will come to mind. ... We only need to turn on the evening news or read USA Today to get the latest headlines on work related homicides and violent crimes, but are work related homicides the only act we think of when the phrase “workplace violence” is used? ... Deadly acts certainly pose a threat to the American worker; ‘the whacked out’, ‘disgruntled’, ‘crazy’, ‘berserk’, worker only accounts for a small percentage of workplace violence and death. In a recent article written for the Workplace Violence Research Institute (WVRI), Kaufer and Mattman (n. ... ) defined workplace violence as having two separate definitions. ... However, studies have shown that the real threat workers face is more accurately described by the Workplace Violence Research Institute definition: Any act against an employee that creates a hostile work environment and negatively affects the employee, either physically or psychologically. ... 1) 1 If workplace violence can be defined as both highly publicized homicides and by common and less well know incidents, how often do these infamous examples of workplace violence take place? ... According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), there were 639 workplace homicides in 2001 which accounted for only 11% of the total 5,900 fatal work injuries in the United States (excluding those killed in the September 11th attacks). 2 Workplace violence can be seperated into two distinct categories – violent and non-violent. Workplace violent crimes include homicide, rape, robbery, sexual assault, aggravated assault, and simple assault (see glossary for definitions). ... In their article on workplace violence, Sygnatur and Toscano (2000) state that homicide is the worst crime of fatal workplace violence and in 2000, it was the third leading cause of job-related deaths. The leading motive for workplace homicide is robbery. Job-related homicides in the retail industry account for almost half of all workplace homicides. Of the 3,829 workplace homicides in 1996-2000, the industries with the highest numbers of homicides are retail with 1,693, - services with 659, and - government with 415. ... 3 A National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) done by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) found that in addition to the nonfatal violence measured, about 900 work-related homicides occurred annually during the study period of 1993 to 1999 and workplace violence accounted for about 18% of all violent crime during the 7 year period. ... Rape, sexual assault, robbery and homicide accounted for a mere 6% of all workplace violent crimes occurring during the 1993 to 1999 time period with the majority, 19 out of 20, being aggravated or simple assaults. ... 4 The BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses reports a total of 16,664 workplace non-fatal assaults and violent acts with lost workdays in 1999. ... 5 Workplace violence is quickly emerging as an important health and safety issue in today’s workplace. Identifying and understanding the factors which may increase a worker’s risk for potential workplace assaults and other types of violence will help employers establish prevention programs, which could potentially save them billions of dollars in lost worker productivity, compensation time and lawsuits. Workers who are more prone to violent attacks, as identified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), include those workers that: · Have contact with the public · Deal with the exchange of money · Participate in the delivery of passengers, goods, or services · Have a mobile workplace such as a taxicab or police cruiser · Work with unstable or volatile persons in health care, social services, or criminal justice settings · Work alone or in small numbers · Work late at night or during early morning hours · Work in high-crime areas · Guard valuable property or possessions · Work in community-based settings 6 The figures mentioned above come from studies and surveys conducted by the WVRI, BJS, and the BLS.