Violence and aggression at work can have a serious impact on both the physical and mental health of employees, and it continues to be a significant issue affecting workplaces.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) define work-related violence as: “Any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work.”
This can include:
- Verbal abuse or threats, whether face-to-face, online or by telephone.
- Physical assaults.
This could include violence from members of the public, customers, clients, patients, service users and students towards a person at work.
For violence to be considered work-related, it must be directly linked to work activity. For example, the following situations would not be included in this definition:
- Personal disputes between workers and other people, such as family members.
- Violence between people not at work, such as customers or service users.
The Scale of the Problem
The Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending March 2024 recorded an estimated 642,000 incidents of workplace violence, including 290,000 assaults and 352,000 threats. This is a slight decrease from the previous year, with those in health and social care, education and public-facing roles still at the greatest risk.
Reducing the Risk
The HSE has published useful guidance on violence and aggression at work that is designed to help employers protect their employees, including how to:
- Assess the risks.
- Put the right controls in place.
- Report and learn from incidents.
There is also specific guidance available on how to support employees following a violent incident.
In addition, HSE has provided advice for employees on violence in the workplace. It explains what an employer’s role is, how to prevent violence at work and what to do should an incident occur.
Support for Your Business
Managing the risk of workplace violence requires a proactive approach. By building awareness, implementing strong controls and supporting staff, businesses can reduce the likelihood of incidents and their impact.
For advice on managing health and safety risks, including work-related violence, please contact us on 02920 853731 or email tcms@thomas-carroll.co.uk.
