Explain Verbal Abuse as a Form of Workplace Violence
Security in the workplace continues to remain a high priority for organizations, especially in light of increases in workplace violence. Conduct appropriate research to identify what are the main or most common types of workplace violence. Select 1 specific type of workplace violence or threat to employees, and provide effective solutions to this threat or violence. Support your work with solid research sources.
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Workplace Violence
Workplace violence can be defined as, “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site and may cause physical or emotional harm.” (Saragoza and White, 2016) There are four main types of workplace violence that are seen in companies being: criminal intent, customer to client, worker on worker, and personal relationship.
One of the more common types of worker on worker violence that will be discussed in this thread is verbal abuse. Verbal abuse is considered, “an act of aggression directed toward persons at work or on duty, ranging from offensive or threatening language to homicide.” (Watters, 2010) With verbal abuse it can be very difficult to pinpoint all the issues that would occur in the workplace since it can come in such simple forms such as gossip, undermining, and judging.
There are three main solutions that the human resources team should implement to deter and prevent verbal abuse from occurring in the workplace. Gathering the employees together for a meeting would be the first step in informing them about these situations. Letting the employees know that they have a voice is the first solution. When an abuser distracts another employee, it is that employees right to address the abuser about what they are doing and how it is negatively affecting them. (Holly 2012) Using one’s voice can deter many of these situations from escalating and continuing. The second solution is to inform the employees about the company policy for workplace violence, even the small situations that arise. This solution should not be sued as a scare tactic but rather to promote a healthy work environment and reinforce the costs associated with breaking this policy. Having an informed workforce also promotes a more vocal workforce. Lastly, I would set up an anonymous system where employees could submit issues that they are having with other coworkers and they could be addressed in a group setting. This would allow for the abuser to see his wrongdoing without being exposed and be given the opportunity to correct his mistakes while also allowing the affected employee to see how to deal with the situation through examples given in the meeting. It will be very unlikely to deter every occurrence of this violence, but by implementing these three solutions the workplace will become a more peaceful and unified environment.
References:
Holly, K. (2012, July 30). Dealing with Verbal Abuse at Work. Retrieved November 12, 2018, fromhttps://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/verbal-abuse/dealing-with-verbal-abuse-at-work
Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H., & Valentine, S. R. (2017). Human resource management (15th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Saragoza, P., & White, S. G. (2016). Workplace Violence. Practical Considerations for Mental Health Professionals in Consultation, Assessment, and Management of Risk. Retrieved November 12, 2018, from https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/science/article/pii/S0193953X16300454.
Watters, C. L. (2010). Verbal Abuse in the Workplace: Has Civility Disappeared. Retrieved November 12, 2018, from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/195965371?accountid=12085&pq-origsite=summon.
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