Violence in the Workplace: Identifying Costs and Preventative Solutions

Employers are legally responsible for providing a safe working environment for their employees. The National Crime Victimization Survey, as well as other surveys, shows that workplace violence is increasing. In the aftermath of violent incidents, businesses spend billions of dollars each year on medical costs, legal fees, and repairs to property and equipment. Companies are also losing huge sums of money because of changes in productivity during and after a violent incident. Workplace violence and the costs associated with it, however, may be reduced if companies take a proactive approach to dealing with the issue. Developing a workplace violence prevention program is one preventative solution to workplace violence. This kind of program includes a zero-tolerance policy towards workplace violence, the development of a threat assessment team, employee hiring and termination policies, guidelines for assessing hazards, training, record-keeping, incident-reporting, and follow-up procedures.