Workplace Violence

February 2018

Incidents of workplace violence in 2016 accounted for 16 percent of all “fatal occupation injuries” in the US—and at least 500 of the registered 5,190 workplace deaths were homicides, according to the latest Bureau of Labor statistics. Workplace violence now accounts for the second largest cause of fatal occupational injuries in the United States, only being superseded by transportation incidents. Studies show that violence in healthcare workplaces is under-reported; thus the problem is considerably larger than the official statistics suggest.

The definition of workplace violence is “any act or threat of physical violence,harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site.” This can range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults—and, as the latest figures demonstrate, even homicide.

Staff in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings face significant risks of workplace violence. The healthcare industry has many unique factors that increase the risk of violence, such as working directly with people who have a history of violence or who may be delirious or under the influence of drugs. In some cases, staff or residents might perceive that violence is tolerated as “part of the job,” which can perpetuate the problem. Violence is unacceptable and incidents must be reported.

Dealing with threats of violence can be particularly challenging. In the majority of cases, a threat will not lead to a violent act. However, no threat should betaken lightly. All threats, whether idle or serious, should be taken seriously and investigated. Even if, after investigation, it is determined that a threat was made in jest, a record of the threat should be made. If a pattern develops,threats that appear harmless in the beginning may turn out to be indicative of a more serious problem.

Indicators that may point toward an increased risk of worker violence can include, but are not limited to:

Sudden, persistent complaining about unfair treatment
Blaming others for problems
Change in behavior or decline in job performance
Stated hope for something bad to happen to supervisor or coworker
Increase in absenteeism
Refusal to accept criticism about work performance
Inability to manage feelings; outbursts of swearing or slamming doors
Homicidal/suicidal comments or threats

Although a suicide threat may not appear to be as threatening to others, it is a serious danger sign. Some extreme violent acts are suicidal—wounding or killing someone else in the expectation of being killed, a phenomenon known in law enforcement as “suicide by cop.” In addition, many workplace shootings often end in suicide by the offender.

The danger isn’t limited to coworkers. Sometimes, individuals may show up to a domestic partner’s workplace with the intent to do harm. Or a customer may feel wronged by a particular company and want to take out his or her frustrations on employees.

Recently, police arrested a 70-year-old man for threatening to bring a gun to a nursing home. The man had encountered a nursing home employee while they were both shopping at a local Walmart. He expressed his displeasure with the level of care a family member was receiving at the facility, and threatened to bring a gun. The employee then reported the threat to the police. The man did go to the nursing home several hours later, but did not bring any weapons. He was arrested that evening for second-degree breach of peace and second-degree threatening.

Employees are encouraged to report any incident that may involve a violation of any of the policies that are designed to provide a comfortable workplace environment. Any concerns maybe presented to employees’ immediate supervisor/department head and/or the compliance officer. All reports will be investigated and information will be kept confidential.

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