Violence in the workplace comes in many forms
October is National Safe Work Month and violence in the workplace is a serious health and safety issue. It can cause physical and psychological harm.
As a business owner, you must meet your work health and safety (WHS) obligations to minimise and manage the risk of violence in your workplace.
Violence in the workplace
Workplace violence can be any incident where a person is abused, threatened, assaulted, or feels unsafe at the workplace or while they are carrying out work duties. It can include physical assault, sexual assault, harassment, or aggressive behaviour, such as stalking or verbal threats. It also includes violence from a family or domestic relationship when this occurs at the workplace, including if the person’s workplace is their home.
Violence may include:
Verbal abuse, in person, over the phone, on social media
Written abuse
Threats (verbal or physical)
Harassment
Physical or sexual assault
Bullying or intimidation
Workplace violence might come from your customers, clients, or people you work with like vendors or members of the public. It can also occur between work colleagues, supervisors, and managers. It may also happen away from the usual workplace where work is being carried out, such as at a client’s home.
Workplace violence in Australia
There is a significant lack of data around workplace related violence in Australia. The data that is available is minimal and offers little insights about the prevalence of workplace violence. Collecting national data on violence is difficult due to the ambiguity of the definitions, the lack of a reporting system, and probable under-reporting of incidents at the workplace.
Some people may choose to find a new job and leave their workplace rather than report an incident of violence or harassment.
According to SafeWork Australia, there are a number of occupations and industries where employees are at a higher risk of workplace related violence.
These include:
Health services (doctors, nurses, medical or support staff, ambulance officers, welfare workers, and helpers)
Retail (sales staff, floor staff, and support staff)
Hospitality (wait staff, baristas, bartenders, managers, and administrators)
Transport (drivers, taxi and ride share drivers, guards, couriers, and airline staff)
Education (school teachers, assistants, and admin staff)
Employer obligations
Under WHS laws, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) must manage the health and safety risks of workplace violence and aggression between workers and other people at the workplace. This can include customers or clients.
Steps to minimise workplace violence
As a small business owner, here are some strategies you can implement to minimise the risk of violence in the workplace:
Create a positive work culture - Make your workplace a positive and respectful environment. Positive workplace culture is the key to minimising workplace violence or aggression.
Design a safe work environment - Whether your employees work in an office, at home, a retail or hospitality venue, or on a work site, it's your duty to provide a safe work environment. Secure all work areas, communicate and install CCTV cameras where possible and allowed. Designing a safe work environment can also mean separating workers from customers. This can be generally done using glass walls, partitions, or high counters. For online work environments, specifically monitor your social media and implement efficient security settings.
Implement safe work systems - Implement work health and safety policies that discuss handling violence in the workplace. You can also train your employees on ways to interact with violent customers, both online and in the physical space. If your employees must work late at night or at odd hours, confirm they have followed all the rules and procedures to stay safe. If your employees work at places other than the office, say a client’s house or site, have them complete a risk assessment.
Zero tolerance policy - Communicate very clearly to your employees about your zero-tolerance policy. This policy should be displayed across the workplace and be a featured highlight in the employee handbook. It should also set out the responsibilities of the employees and actions supervisors or managers must take during the time of the incident and following.
Communicate with your employees - Small businesses may have a small team, but it can also mean higher chances of conflict due to the same group of people spending a lot of time together. Consistently communicate on what is considered as violence or aggression. Furthermore, ask your employees if they need help in conflict resolution or handling difficult customers. They should also know who to contact in case of a violent incident at the workplace.
What can you do?
No two workplaces are the same. Being an employer, you must understand how to build an approach towards preventing workplace violence that suits you and your employees.
Ideally, consult with the people involved and affected, such as employees and vendors. You may learn potential risks or pitfalls from this consultation process that can help you design a safe workplace.
How can Peninsula help you?
We have worked with thousands of business owners across Australia. We understand the challenges business owners face when it comes to managing staff and daily operations. Call our 24/7 Advice Line to get your questions answered about workplace violence.
This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute as business or legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. It does not take into consideration your specific business, industry or circumstances. You should seek legal or other professional advice regarding matters as they relate to you or your business. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Peninsula Group disclaim all liability for any errors or omissions contained in this information or any failure to update or correct this information. It is your responsibility to assess and verify the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of the information in this article.
