Cartoonists shot at work in Paris. Teachers killed while trying
to protect their students in Newtown, Connecticut. A CEO shot in
the head and stomach by a recently demoted employee in Illinois.
News reports are filled with horrific tragedies occurring in
workplaces around the world.
Did any of those employees go to work in the morning expecting
that day to be their last? Was there anything their employers could
have done to prevent the violence that befell their workers? Being
proactive now may help you avoid a violent episode at your
workplace, and be prepared to handle a crisis should one occur.
How Bad Is It?
Many employers may be tempted to ignore the possibility that
violence could erupt at their business, but statistics suggest that
workplace violence is more widespread than we'd like to think.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates
that nearly two million U.S. workers report having been a victim of
workplace violence each year.
