A common but severe problem that many business owners and employers face is workplace violence. As the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines it, violence in the workplace can take the form of any act that involves violent behavior or even simple threats. It also includes actions that can or lead to injuries, damages to property, and fear.
The FBI and
tinsleypi.com cited that any type of threat, intimidation, bullying, harassment, assault, stalking, and murder fall under this fearsome workplace problem.
The Statistics
The FBI also reported that, according to a Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, approximately 1.7 million workplace violence incidents take place in five to six years. Due to such actions, victims miss around 1.75 million days of work every year. This has led to an annual loss of wage amounting to $55 million.
Employer’s Obligations
As an employer, you should take responsibility in ensuring that the workplace remains safe and free from violence. In fact,
you are morally and legally obligated to ensure everyone in the workplace do not suffer from any form of violence.
Increasing Safety in the Workplace
There are many ways to increase the safety and security aspects of your business. One of these is establishing the trustworthiness, credibility, professionalism, and potential behavior of an employee. Knowing whether your workers have been or are involved in criminal activities like the use of drugs, substance abuse, theft, dishonesty, fraud, or any other dangerous conduct will help you set things straight.
What Can You Do?
Knowing a person’s history can help you foresee their actions. Although not all people who have been involved in criminal activities continue to behave the same way, it still pays to do background checks on every potential new hire.
With background checks, you can identify applicants that may have strong tendencies to behave inappropriately. With this method, you can choose only the right applicants that will contribute to the good of your organization — not wreak havoc to it, especially in terms of workplace violence.
