Workplace Violence: What's the Plan?

BY SVIATLANA LIASHCHYNA
According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), nearly two million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year. There are currently no federal laws which establish a duty for employers to prevent workplace violence against employees; however, employers – including law firms - have a duty to provide a safe working environment under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Statistics show that about 43% of corporate executives believe that workplace violence is not an issue; an even higher percentage believes that it shouldn’t impact their budget.

Despite these numbers and the lack of federal law, employers should be aware of the risks of workplace violence and how they can work to mitigate those risks. These risks include:

• Legal liabilities which can be incurred after an incident of workplace violence;
• Compensations and mandatory leaves which need to be provided to victims of workplace violence; and
• Negligence claims from third-party victims of workplace violence.

To mitigate these risks, firms should consider the following for an effective workplace violence prevention program.

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