Changes in the workplace continue to breed a climate of hostility and fear that is turning the workplace into a domestic battleground. The long-term consequences of such insecurity may be overwhelming psychological stress and even trauma, leading to hostility and outbursts or bizarre behavior. The conference is sponsored by the American Arbitration Association and the Workplace Solutions Project at Cornell. Denenberg said bizarre behavior comes in all forms.
Many threats come from non- employees, such as customers, employees, clients and patients.
Murder, the most dramatic consequence of workplace violence, accounts for less than 4 percent of all documented incidents. Such a plan, she noted, is still uncommon in many workplaces. An American Management Association survey found that 65 percent of employers lack policies designed to deal with actual or potential violence within or outside the workplace. Dispute resolution is the one approach to resolving workplace conflicts that adequately addresses the emotions of the situation, Denenberg claims. Although arbitration may dispose of the surface issues, the underlying causes of an outburst or act of insubordination typically are not addressed.