In cases of domestic violence, an angry spouse pursues his partner to the worksite and attacks or threatens her there, constituting a work-related crime. 3 Employee use of drugs and alcohol can result in reduced effectiveness at work and an increase in violence. Workers who abuse drugs and alcohol at the worksite increase the risk of engaging in intimidation or violence with co-workers. 4 Workplace violence leads to increased medical and stress-related disability claims, lower productivity, higher turnover and possibly greater legal liability for the employer. 5 Violence and harassment affect the health and productivity of victims and other workers.
Psychological trauma can be more distressing than actual physical harm.
Victims have reported feeling angry, fearful, stressed and depressed. 6 Job stress can be both cause and effect of workplace violence and harassment. Highly stressed workers experienced twice the rate of violence and harassment as less stressed employees. Threats of violence in the workplace were linked to higher employee burnout rates. 7 Improved interpersonal relations and effective preventive programs can result in lower levels of violence and harassment in the workplace.