How Employee Engagement Plays an Important Role in Mitigating Workplace Violence

Most people do not expect to be a victim of workplace violence. Some jobs, such as police officers, members of the military, and first responders, may expect to experience violence from offenders. However, offices, restaurants, or healthcare workers often find themselves unprepared in the case of workplace violence. Unfortunately, workplace violence can be a problem worldwide in all industries.

As a result, it is crucial to use an employee engagement strategy to mitigate workplace violence. You can significantly reduce workplace violence by properly communicating with your employees and educating them on proper behavior with training videos. Posting a guide with steps to follow and who to consult in the case of violence, installing panic alarm systems, and fostering teambuilding shared experience are all proactive solutions to mitigating workplace violence. While there might still be breakthrough cases, violence will occur at a lower rate. 

Train Employees and Workplace Standards and Violence Reduction

Employee engagement is your number one tool to mitigate workplace violence. Preventative measures are crucial to eliminating violence in the workplace. As a result, classes and training videos on workplace standards and violence reduction should be a part of employee training.

When employees start working for a new company, they often need to complete training courses and general requirements before beginning in the new position. Regardless of the position, they need to learn the ins and outs of the company so that they are prepared to do their job to the best of their ability. During training, you can incorporate lessons on violence reduction.

Types of Workplace Violence

Violence in the workplace comes from one of two places. Firstly, employee-on-employee violence can occur and is the more challenging version to eliminate. However, the other version, customer-on-employee violence, is easier to avoid.

To avoid customer-on-employee violence, you can teach your employees about conflict resolution. Teach your employees how to understand and recognize anger. By learning how to recognize anger, employees will be able to notice when situations are getting out of control.

Once employees know how to recognize anger, you can look at best practices for informal de-escalation training. Teach your employees how to find the real cause of frustrations so they can talk with the customer about a solution. 

While these solutions are great for when anger arises from customers, you can also use them when employees have arguments among themselves. However, since these relationships are more interpersonal than those with customers, mediation is also important.

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Teach Employees About the Importance of Mediation

If an employee notices a conflict growing between them and another employee, they need preparation for what to do next. Level-headed employees who have received mediation and workplace violence training will be able to resolve the problem before violence ensues. 

Calling for a mediator is one way to troubleshoot a conflict and engage employees in important workplace violence avoidance. An employee can bring in a manager, supervisor, or another employee to resolve the situation. 

However, many conflicts may need resolutions from superiors than other employees; this is when a supervisor should step in as a mediator. 

When an employee brings in a mediator, that individual should leave all assumptions about the employees and situation behind them. They should enter the situation with an open mind to accurately determine how to proceed.

Encourage Employees to Engage with Supervisors and Human Resources If a Situation Gets Out of Control

Employee engagement is crucial to mitigating workplace violence. As a result, when employees go through their training videos, you can teach them to engage with supervisors and human resources in uncomfortable situations. 

If employees have access to a workplace communication network, they are more likely to engage with it. The network must be easily accessible, or they are unlikely to bother with it. 

Additionally, members of the communication network must be understanding and friendly. If they are confrontational, aggressive, and quick to blame the person coming to them with the problem, employees will resolve conflict in their way. 

If you are a company owner, you are responsible for hiring the right people as managers and supervisors to maintain good company culture. While these people are in charge of your employees, they need to treat them like equals. If managers treat their employees right, those employees are more likely to come with them when they have concerns about their coworkers.

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Install Violence Prevention Devices

Customer-on-employee violence is more likely to occur, and customers are less likely to listen to reason than employees. As a result, you can install workplace safety devices to avoid conflict. 

Use Workplace Bonding Activities to Engage Employees and Build Relationships

The best way to engage employees is with each other. If you notice workplace violence is higher in your workplace than is acceptable, you need to ask yourself what the problem is. While it is not easy to eliminate toxicity from the workplace, you can change things with new employees.

When new employees start in the office, hold group activities, so everyone can get to know each other. A monthly all-hands meeting with food and drinks would be a good way to foster casual interaction and help form bonds. Playing games and creating friendly competition are good icebreakers and help employees learn about each other as people. 

The game does not matter as long as it is fun and encourages employees to laugh together. Friendship is the best mitigating factor against workplace violence. Team building and shared experiences foster relationships and understanding among coworkers. 

Final Thoughts

Workplace violence is becoming more prominent throughout all industries. While it is impossible to eliminate it from every workplace completely, there are things you can do as a boss to mitigate it. Employee engagement is the best tool at your disposal to mitigate workplace violence. 

Required training for all employees, knowledge of the proper steps to take in a potentially violent situation (such as consulting with a mediator), installing devices such as wireless panic buttons within the workplace, and shared team-building experiences between employees are all potential ways to engage employees and reduce violence in the workplace. 

Author Bio:

This article is written by a marketing team member at HR Cloud. HR Cloud is a leading provider of proven HR solutions, including recruiting, onboarding, employee communications & engagement, and rewards & recognition. Our user-friendly software increases employee productivity, delivers time and cost savings, and minimizes compliance risk.

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