Violence in the Workplace

In the history of work, workplace safety hasn’t always been a priority. But over the years, employers have come to increasingly understand and promote the benefits of taking care of their employees—including their health, well-being, and general safety. One area that still needs attention? The growing need to train and protect workers from potential violence.

With two million victims of workplace violence per year—including 400,000 aggravated assaults—it’s no wonder a whopping 68% of American employees report feeling unsafe at work! And a study by the Society for Human Resource Management suggests the number of victims could be even higher, with almost half of all HR reps saying their organizations have experienced at least one incident of workplace violence.

Businesses need to tackle this issue head-on through timely employee education and training. Based on our years of experience in the workplace training industry, the most highly suggested option is Active Shooter Training.

“Active shooter incidents have become more common in the US in recent years,” Pew Research reveals while noting the overall rise in gun-related deaths.

Employees need to know “what to do during that critical first five minutes to survive the attack,” says 25-year Nevada Police Department veteran Joey Walker, explaining how workers must “learn how to tactically escape from a shooting location.”

“If the choice is made to hide,” Walker asserts, “learn how to hide and use improvised weapons with the intent of ambushing the shooter should the shooter enter that location. And in the worst-case scenario, learn last resort techniques should you come face to face with the shooter and improvised weapons may either be limited or non-existent.”