Incident Response Strategies for Employers in Cases of Violence at the Workplace

Workplace violence encompasses various levels of aggression, stretching from verbal mistreatment to homicide. This training session will help you understand and identify the diverse forms of workplace violence and detect potential precursors.

, and Administrator

2025 September 3 . 4:45 PM

2 min read

Workplace Aggression for Managers and Overseeing Personnel

Incident Response Strategies for Employers in Cases of Violence at the Workplace

Workplace violence is a pressing concern that affects millions of workers each year, and it's essential to understand its various forms and categories to address this issue effectively.

Four Types of Workplace Violence by Perpetrator Relationship

Type 1: Criminal Intent This type of violence is committed by individuals who have no legitimate business at the workplace, such as robbers or vandals. They enter the workplace with the intention of committing a crime.
Type 2: Customer/Client In this category, employees are subjected to violence from customers, clients, patients, students, inmates, visitors, or others accompanying a client. This is common in healthcare and service industries.
Type 3: Worker-on-Worker Violence between current or former employees, supervisors, or managers within the organization falls under this type. This can arise from conflicts, stress, or role changes within the workplace.
Type 4: Personal Relationship This type of violence is committed by someone who is not part of the workplace but has a personal relationship with the employee. Domestic violence situations that spill into the workplace are examples of this type.

Nature of Workplace Violence

Workplace violence can manifest in two forms: physical and non-physical.

Physical Violence

Physical acts of aggression such as punching, kicking, pushing, hitting people or objects fall under this category.

Non-Physical Violence

This includes intimidation, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse, threats, and other forms of psychological aggression.

Additional Insights

Workplace violence encompasses a broad range of behaviors from verbal abuse to sexual assault or harassment, intimidation, and physical violence involving weapons or fighting. Examples of unacceptable workplace aggression include eye rolling, sneering, yelling, threats, spitting, shoving, tripping, or sexual assault.

Situations triggering workplace violence include employee issues (e.g., conflicts, stress, role changes) and workplace issues (e.g., lack of clear rules, poor supervision, or inconsistent discipline).

It's crucial to remember that co-workers, supervisors, or visitors can perpetrate workplace violence. Additionally, laws regarding sex offenses in the workplace vary from state to state, so it's recommended to ask the employer for more information.

Lastly, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment, and menacing are other forms of workplace violence that can pose a threat to employees' safety and wellbeing.

By understanding the different types and forms of workplace violence, employers and workers can recognise the spectrum of workplace violence and the contexts in which it can occur, aiding in prevention and response strategies.