How to Avoid Workplace Violence in 2021

It is easy for many people working in a small company full of welcoming people to dismiss workplace violence by believing that it may never occur at their worksite. Your thinking may be right. But, this assumption can also be dangerous because violence could occur at any time leaving you vulnerable and unprepared, taking away your chance to react swiftly.  

In 2021, statistics show an increase in workplace violence by 110 percent, especially against health workers. If you work in a corporate organization, you seriously want to ask yourself “how do I avoid workplace violence in 2021?” The simple answer to avoiding this tragedy is to learn how to spot potentially violent behavior at its early stage. But, how do you achieve this? The key is in having an in-depth understanding of workplace violence. 

What is Workplace Violence?

The occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) has defined workplace violence to mean a threat of harassment, physical violence, intimidation, and any other alarming disruptive conduct in the workplace. It also includes any form of verbal threats to a physical confrontation that could lead to injury, intended killing, or homicide. 

How Does Workplace Violence Occur?

Workplace violence arises when employees commit violence against other employees. These crises usually happen unexpectedly and could be difficult to curb when they escalate. But how do you avoid this, especially in 2021, where millions are plagued by difficulties provoked by the recent pandemic? The key is to know the behavioral traits associated with workplace violence. 

Behavioral Traits Associated With Workplace Violence

In a working environment, both employees and employers must recognize threatening behavior that could lead to violent acts. Some behaviors that may indicate potential violence with a corporation include: impulsive outbursts, problem concentrating, disregard of company rules and consequences, insisting on claiming the victim status, anxiety, manic mood swings. 

While these behavioral traits do not guarantee a violent outburst, it is best to strictly observe the behaviors of every staff around you to help you quickly see the warning signs. 

Employers Approach to Curb Workplace Violence in 2021

For employers, one of the best way to keep the business running is to make the working environment a safe place for their employees. So, how do you go about doing this? Consider the following:

Carryout A Background Check Before Hiring

To prevent workplace violence in 2021, conduct a complete background check on new employees before hiring. It would provide you with all the information you need on your potential employee in terms of character traits, and previous violence convictions. 

Establish a Strict Policy Against Violence

One of the best methods to prevent workplace violence is to establish a strict policy that prevents violent behavior like harassment, verbal threats, and homicide intentions. But make sure this policy leaves no room for favoritism, especially when it rules out the administrative bodies. This kind of policy will enable swift punishment, no matter the position of the person at fault. Moreover, it shows that your company strongly frowns against the violence.

Create an Effective Communication Link with Company Executives

In every organization, communication is key because it enables quick response to any urgent matter arising. So, it is best to create a working communication network that will keep employees. To do this, grant employees access to the key administrative bodies like the Human Resource team and the management. 

Embark on Seminars to Create Awareness on Workplace Violence

Take time to engage workers in training sessions like seminars to teach them more about responding to violent behaviors. This training session will enable your staff to recognize violence in infancy and quickly address it. 

Encourage Oneness Among Employees

In every workplace, one inevitable factor is personality clashes. Everybody has behavioral traits that make them stand out. While some personalities may be over the top, some tend to be meek and watch as things play out. As an employer, you want to encourage your staff to accept individual differences and embrace peace. 

Employees’ Approach towards Avoiding Workplace Violence in 2021

Like employers, employees too have a role to play when it comes to preventing workplace violence. 

Learn Good Communication Skills

As an employee, you need to understand that communication skills are key to curbing threatening issues. With good communication skills, you will know what to say, when to pitch in, when to ignore and how to deliver your message. You do not want to sound defensive and threatening. 

Learn to Deal with All Sorts of People

According to an article published in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), part of being a professional is learning how to deal with all sorts of people, even those who make you uncomfortable. The truth is that the recent pandemic which plagued the world has led to severe mental illnesses like depression and anxiety in some people. Imagine coming to your workplace and trying to talk to your chit-chat colleague, only to constantly get the cold shoulder. When this happens, the best advice you could give to the colleague is to schedule a counseling section. If this method does not work, you should try to learn how to cope with them.

Avoid Confrontations

One of the benefits of training sessions or seminars is that it will teach company staff how to attend to workplace violence, and avoiding confrontations is one key lesson every seminar would teach. Once you recognize the early warning signs like mood swings or impulsive outbursts, you should want to get away from that situation. Remain calm, avoid arguments or responding to threats and stay away from the threatening source. 

Report Suspicious Violent Behavior

Workers need to report every threatening violent behavior within the working premises. When employees fail to do so, the incident might escalate and leave employers with no choice but to direct punishments like termination, which could lead to a breach of contract. 

Other prevention approaches employees can adopt include:

• Adopting formal communication in the workplace to regulate workplace activities and not get into personal differences. 
• Analyze the vibes on every working day and respond accordingly.
• Learn to respect each person’s privacy.
• Think positively.
• Comply with workplace policies.