When I first heard the term workplace violence, I thought it meant violence between colleagues. That’s just how my brain works; I take things literally.
But it’s not that.
Workplace violence is violence against staff from the public. And it’s happening more often than we care to admit.
Let’s be clear - workplace violence is unnecessary, it’s unacceptable, it’s abhorrent, and it must be eliminated.
We all get angry at times. We all feel aggrieved on occasion. But most of us don’t resolve our frustrations with violence.
We talk, we listen, we find a way through.
Yet for some reason, when violence happens in a workplace, particularly to frontline workers, people say, “It’s just part of their job.”
It isn’t!
Adding the word workplace doesn’t soften the blow. It doesn’t make it okay.
Violence is violence, and it must be called out, addressed, and dealt with appropriately and legally.
In the work we do at WARN International, we support those who face the public every day – local and district council staff, government employees, emergency responders, health workers, social service teams, road crews, and many more.
Yes, some people only know one way to express themselves, through aggression. While a reason, it’s not an excuse.
We all must:
* Educate the public about respectful engagement.
* Empower staff to report incidents without fear.
* Support leaders to take action, not just file a report.
* Involve the police - because violence is a crime and not a workplace hazard.
Psychological safety starts with physical safety, and physical safety starts with zero tolerance for violence.
Every person deserves to feel safe at work.
Let’s talk!
Workplace Violence!