by Shane Henson — November 26, 2012—Most Americans are all too aware of the violence that occurs on city streets, but as a factsheet released by the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence shows, people’s safety can also be at risk in the comfy confines of the office.
With data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Justice, National Institute of Safety and Health, NCCI Research and more, the 2013 Workplace Violence Fact Sheet provides a detailed look at violence in the American workplace through statistics, charts and legal issues associated with workplace violence. This year’s edition also includes an expanded section on domestic violence and the financial aspects of workplace violence, says the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence.
Key findings from the factsheet include:
- Workplace homicides and other violent acts are the second leading cause of death for women at work.
- For the first 10 years of the 21st century, an average of 558 work-related homicides occurred annually in the United States.
- Workplace suicides rose to an all-time high of 270 incidents in 2010.
- An estimated more than a half million incidents of nonfatal assaults are reported each year. These occur most often in nursing homes, social services, hospitals and late-night convenient stores.
- Workplace violence costs an estimated $121 billion a year nationwide.
- Nonfatal assaults alone result in more than 876,000 lost workdays and $16 million in lost wages.
- Subsequent costs could include lost productivity, counseling, contract/sales losses, cleaning and refurbishing, increased insurance costs, lawsuits/settlements, and more.
The factsheet may serve as a wake-up call for employers and building security professionals who have not taken adequate precaution to protect employees from workplace violence. According to the institute, reacting to a serious incident of workplace violence is actually 100 times more expensive than taking proactive measures to prevent the incident from occurring. Employers may be liable for negligent hiring or retention if an incident occurs and the employer failed to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to individuals. The average settlement cost for negligence lawsuits are $1 million (and some with verdicts as high as $40 million).
