Violence in the workplace can come in all shapes, sizes and severity levels. The term “workplace violence” is often overused; it is more accurate to use both the terms “workplace violence” and “inappropriate workplace aggression.”




How is Workplace Violence Defined?

Homicide is the most publicized form of workplace violence, but it is certainly not the most common type of behavior considered workplace violence. Non-lethal forms of violence occur much more frequently than fatal assaults. A broad range of conduct is considered workplace violence, including the following:
• Sabotage of a coworker or manager causing damage to his or her property;
• Violent confrontations in the workplace;
• Some forms of sexual harassment;
• Threats of violence by an employee;
• Assaults in the workplace;
• Armed robbery of employees;
• Suicide at the workplace; and
• Hostage incidents in the workplace.

What is “Inappropriate Workplace Aggression”?

“Inappropriate workplace aggression” is an act or inaction intended to cause harm to another individual in the workplace or to the organization, including both active and passive behaviors. Inappropriate workplace aggression can include the following:
•       Yelling or screaming;
•       Use of derogatory names;
•       The "silent treatment";
•       Withholding of necessary information;
•       Aggressive eye contact;
•       Negative rumors;
•       Explosive outbursts of anger; and
•       Ridiculing a colleague in front of others.

If left unchecked, inappropriate workplace aggression can escalate and create an extremely hostile workplace that can eventually lead to an act or acts of physical violence.

"Going Postal"

The first step in preventing workplace violence is recognizing it. Workplace violence is not just a murderous shooting rampage. The familiar phrase "Going Postal" is actually a myth. The Postal Commission released a report that found that postal workers are no more likely to encounter violence or abuse than employees in the private sector. In fact, the Commission's study found that retail workers are eight times more likely than postal employees to be homicide victims at work.

Employees are often unsure about what types of potentially violent behavior they should report – or whether situations should be reported at all. There can be barriers that prevent employees from reporting, including not wanting to be perceived as a troublemaker, rationalizing the perpetrator’s behavior as not that serious or done in jest, not wanting to get a coworker or third party “in trouble”, and fears of retaliation by the employer and/or aggressor both inside and outside the workplace. Employees and supervisors need to be trained on how to identify and report troublesome behavior.

Next time we'll look at one of the first laws in the country that encourage employers to plan and train their staff about violence prevention.



About Lynn Lieber: Lynn D. Lieber, Esq. is a seasoned employment law attorney and a nationally recognized spokeswoman on harassment and discrimination law. Lieber is also founder and CEO of Workplace Answers -- www.workplaceanswers.com/Default.aspx -- a San Francisco-based provider of Web-based legal compliance education. Her areas of expertise include:

· Employment law, changes in laws, and how changes affect businesses
· Unlawful harassment prevention
· Protected categories under Title VII, the Civil Rights Act of 1964
· Sexual harassment prevention
· California’s AB 1825 legislation
· Workplace violence prevention
· Workforce management
· Sarbanes-Oxley/Ethics
· Workplace diversity and related business strategies
· Employment leave laws
· HR policy acceptance
· Legal compliance education