Violence In The Workplace

There are many cases and reports of violence in the workplace whether the perpetrator is a co-worker, a boss, or even a stranger. In fact, 45 percent of workers have been bullied at least once in their workplace and of these people, 24 percent of them were bullied by co-workers, 23 percent of them by managers, and 34 percent of them were by higher managers and people external to the company (Workplace Violence Prevention). The type of violence in the workplace varies as well from sexual assault, physical assault, or verbal assault. The effects of this on workers can result in developing mental health issues, lowering productivity within the organization, and starting to create a negative hierarchy or connection in the workplace between managers

First of all, when workers come to work in fear, it becomes a distraction to them, interrupting them from getting any work done. Not only that, but a survey found some factors accountable for loss of productivity which include, “98 percent having difficulty concentrating on work tasks; 96 percent reported that domestic abuse affected their ability to perform their job duties; 87 percent received harassing phone calls at work; and 78 percent reported being late to work because of abuse” (Impact of Violence and the Workplace). As a result, it is evident that workers who suffer from abuse become distracted from their jobs, and it leads to lowered productivity. Next, when workers are distracted, they are not giving their full attention and efforts to get the job done. Since employees are distracted, they are not giving their full potential and from that, “exposure to workplace violence will result in cognitive difficulties, which in turn will predict negative psychological and organizational outcomes” (Kelloway, E. Kevin). Essentially, more mental health issues are developing due to harassments and becomes distracting. Finally, when employees aren’t able to get work done, it causes the organization to lose profit due to a lack of productivity. Having done another

There have been many reports of assault in the workplace between managers and their employees, especially sexual assault. This destroys the idea of good healthy relationships between the boss and the employee. The organization can begin to lose its communicational skills and not only that but it will foster an unhealthy working environment for everyone else. One of the most crucial effects of violence in the workplace is that it destroys a sense of safety, which is one of the main concepts in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Being the second most basic need in the pyramid, without fulfilling the safety needs of a person, they are not able to achieve anything above that. If one is not able to have all their needs achieved, it causes a damaged work environment with poor communication. Since the relationship is damaged, communication between peers and managers end up breaking through. Also, not only is there no sense of safety in the organization, but the trust built in the manager and employee’s relationship is destroyed. When trust is destroyed, workers feel alienated and their relationship starts to fall apart, “minor betrayals are acts that alienate employees from their managers, their peers, and their subordinates. These subtle betrayals seem harmless and insignificant, yet can lead to more serious hurts and account for much of the pain and resignation that employees feel toward their bosses, each other and their