Workplace violence is one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities. Statistics show that approximately two million Americans are victims of workplace violence annually. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, retail, finance, food & hospitality, and healthcare industries have the highest incidence of violence on the job. In 2013 alone, violent crimes in the workplace was responsible for 383 fatalities.
There are different types of violence found in the workplace: criminal intent, customer/client violence, employee on employee violence, and individual relationship violence.
Criminal intent violence are crimes such as robbery, trespassing, theft crimes like shoplifting, and terrorism where the perpetrator does not have a relationship with the business. The majority or 85% of workplace violence falls into this category. High-risk positions with criminal intent violence are grocery or retail store clerks, bank tellers, jewelry store clerks, and food establishment service employees.
Customer or client violence involves an individual with a legitimate relationship with the work-site. It may be a customer, client, patient, student, inmate, or any other group for which the business provides services. Industries such as health care and protective service operations are more commonly afflicted by this type of violence.
Approximately 7 percent of workplace violence is employee on employee violence, which often occurs when a current or past employee threatens another employee. This type of violence tends to occur across all industries.
Individual Relationship Violence is a type of violence that involves an outsider that has a personal relationship with an employee, who is an intended victim. Typically, these are a product of domestic violence situations, gang situations, or other familial issues. Nearly a quarter of full time employees are victims of domestic violence according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and seventy five percent of domestic violence perpetrators use the workplace to harass, intimidate, or injure a victim.
If you are facing violent crime charges in Wisconsin, you may be subject to fines and incarceration. At The Law Offices of Andrew C. Ladd, LLC., our Waukesha assault and battery defense attorneys bring more than 50 years of combined legal experience to every criminal defense case. Our team has defended clients against violent crimes charges such as assault and battery, homicide, weapons crimes, domestic violence and intimidation. We will fight aggressively to protect your rights in the criminal justice system. Contact our offices today for help.
Source: National Law Review, “Preventing Workplace Violence Incidents: Five Things You Can Do Today”, by Alka Ramchandani, accessed June 11, 2015.
