Trends in workplace violence are a critical area of consideration in today’s society. The frequency and severity of physical violence in the workplace have reached all-time highs, with minor signs of any let-up in the foreseeable future. Office Move Organizations have taken significant steps to incorporate strategies that focus on violence prevention in the workplace into their overall wellness and safety plans. Some companies are striving for Zero Workplace Harassment statistics.
One particular strategy for workplace violence prevention is to make sure that everyone in the company has a general duty to carry a self-defense tool on them at all times. This could be a pepper spray or other small device that can be carried by one person but can cause significant injury or death if it is fired upon. Companies are taking great strides in ensuring that everyone who carries one has a strict de-escalation technique at all times. It is not only their responsibility to follow but that of the public as well. The general duty to carry a weapon, therefore, encourages people to de-escalate a potentially dangerous situation.
Another strategy for workplace violence prevention involves taking a more aggressive approach to identifying potential threats. There may be a simple matter of assessing what type of image a person poses in many cases. If a person clenches their fist and makes intimidating gestures, they may be seen as looking for trouble, which increases the potential for a physical confrontation.
Effective communication between frontline workers and management is crucial. Once these roles and responsibilities are defined, employees feel connected to the overall organization. They are no longer distracted by the notion that someone else is taking care of them.
Developing a safety culture begins with leaders taking a broader view of what it means to be a leader. A company that understands its members’ safety needs will foster greater de-harassment and fewer instances where members feel vulnerable. People familiar with their skills and those in their department will tend to make better decisions when putting themselves and coworkers in potentially risky situations. Likewise, de-escalation tactics can be taught rather than being learned through trial and error. Developing a culture of safety within an organization requires leaders to understand that being a good leader doesn’t require being an excellent communicator or having excellent physical skills.
Rivalry among coworkers has also become an issue in the workplace. Workers often feel pressured to perform different tasks at different rates. When overtime pay isn’t available, some fill-time tasks get lost in the search for hourly work. Creating a working system where all workers receive equal pay for the same number of tasks helps reduce racial and other gaps in pay that have been identified in many studies. Eliminating differences in rates for different jobs can go a long way towards creating a more equitable workplace.
Research has indicated that the introduction of telework positively impacts employee engagement and productivity growth. Workers that spend more time working online are more likely to stay engaged in their jobs. They tend to feel connected to the company and are less likely to be distracted by the notion that someone else is always looking over their shoulder.
Finally, a company’s ability to effectively combat threats has become more challenging as natural disasters continue to threaten large swaths of land and the infrastructure of large cities. Natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes pose immediate threats to infrastructure, but there are other situations where a company may need to deploy resources beyond traditional models. A typical example is a response to a corporate or government response to a domestic terrorist incident. A recently published report recommends that companies employ an environmental risk assessment model and develop an integrated security plan that focuses on preventing terrorism rather than its response.