The organization is affected when its most valuable assets, its employees, are unable to perform and function at their peak. As an organization attempts to recover from an episode of workplace violence, it is afflicted with low productivity, reduction in quality service, increased absenteeism, strained employee relations, and overwhelmed supervisors. As these effects of workplace violence meander through the organization, the overall efficiency of the organization decreases. In addition to organizational concerns, administrators and managers must be aware of the liability issue associated with workplace violence. With the frequency and severity of workplace violence, the number of lawsuits arising out of these incidents has increased at a roughly proportionate rate.
Employers have a responsibility to keep their employees safe.
An employer s responsibility is outlined by several laws and statutes, such as the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 and the Workplace Violence Safety Act of 1994. These statutes require that employers provide their employees with a safe working environment. Thus, employers need to be able to recognize behaviors and events that may signal an impending act of workplace violence and curtail them. In addition, it is imperative that employers establish effective workplace violence prevention programs. Unfortunately, as demonstrated by ever increasing media reports, events of workplace violence are ever-present.