Employers can be held liable under Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards for negligent hiring practices, that is, for hiring employees without thorough background checks. States can act against employers who negligently hire someone who commits violence, if the employer knew or should have known the applicant was objectionable. Employers can also be held liable for negligent retention if they take no action when they have information about potential violence by employees. Government personnel can be sued individually for negligent employee practices. The federal government can fine businesses if they fail to have emergency plans or if violence occurs in their workplaces.
Violence increases medical and stress-related disability claims.
Workers' compensation costs, law suits and legal expenses related to injuries from violence have skyrocketed. The costs in loss productivity from emotional trauma to workers who experience or witness violence is substantial, because the place workers spend a great portion of their waking hours is no longer safe. Employee turnover results in higher training costs and further decreases productivity. Thus for many reasons, employers must heighten their awareness of the potential for violence in the workplace, take steps to prevent it, and to punish it when it occurs. Only with due vigilance will future workplace violence be minimized or eliminated.