The Capitol Gazette in Annapolis, MD, the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, CA, and just recently, a disgruntled worker in Virginia Beach, VA who took his personal grievances out on his workers at a government office, killing 12 people. All recent examples of workplace violence that are becoming all too frequent. According to a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), approximately 1 out of 7 Americans do not feel safe at work.
April is workplace violence awareness month and statistics show women are nearly three times more likely to be murdered on the job, compared to men, according to a report from the National Council for Home Safety and Security (NCHSS).
I was in law enforcement prior to the term ‘Active Shooter’ became an accepted way to describe someone bent on hurting people, and before Columbine forever changed how police will respond to acts of mass violence.
National Safety Council analysis indicates that women are disproportionately impacted by certain safety issues, most notably nonfatal workplace violence. Females account for 70% of all assault-related injuries involving days away from work.
Corporate culture has been the source of vigorous discussion and debate in leadership circles for decades. Despite the persistence of this discourse, we continue to struggle with a working definition of “corporate culture.” A recent article in Harvard Business Review offered that “cultural norms define what is encouraged, discouraged, accepted, or rejected within a group.” How might the cultural norms in an organization encourage an environment ripe for workplace violence?
Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) has introduced legislation to curb rising rates of workplace violence facing health care and social service employees such as nurses, physicians, emergency responders, medical assistants, and social workers.
As someone who has been engaged by consulting clients and full-time employers to conduct threat assessments and write security and emergency preparedness plans, I am often left puzzled by how many organizations go to great lengths to assess their vulnerabilities and create plans to address them, but almost never test their ongoing effectiveness.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce launched the Institute for a Safer Florida (ISF) to “focus its energy and expertise on enhancing school and workplace safety.”
