Workplace violance

In modern society , there are many kinds of violence to speak of . One of the most popular kinds is that of domestic violence . It is a well-discussed it has been talked about in television shows and movies , and there are even some songs written with this theme . However another kind of violence has been threatening society , but it is not as publicized as domestic violence . It is called workplace violence

In Kathy Gurchiek 's article entitled Workplace Violence on the Upswing ' it was stated that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and

Health defines workplace violence as violent acts aimed at employees on the job (2005 . This includes physical assault , or even just threats of assault (Gurchiek , 2005 . These threats cannot be undermined , either . According to Steve Kaufer of the Workplace Violence Research Institute , more often than not , the situation is exacerbated when the threats soon lead to actual harassment (as cited in Stephenson 2006

Workplace violence may be obscure to some , but its obscurity does not mean that it is not a serious issue . According to Jenkins (2004 , it was found from data collected between 1993 to 1999 that every year , an estimated 1 .7 million workers in America suffered from workplace violence . Also , Gurchiek (2005 ) revealed that according to a survey sponsored by Risk Control Strategies (RCS , a management firm that deals with workplace violence prevention , the cases of workplace-related violence escalated since 2003 . Moreover , fifty-eight percent of the said cases involved employees threatening senior managers , either personally or via email (Gurchiek , 2005 . Other forms of workplace violence that were found on the survey included intentional computer virus downloading and product tampering (Gurchiek , 2005

The acts that constitute workplace violence have effects that are not limited to physical or psychological repercussions . There is also a financial burden associated with it . According to the statistics RCS considered , the estimated amount ascribed in workplace violence for 2002 reached 121 billion . This amount was accumulated from expenses due to business interruption , product tampering , security consulting employee consulting , legal liability and brand erosion (Gurchiek 2005 ' Aside from the aforementioned costs , there are also additional payments made due to the decline of the morale of the employee , and counseling as a result of workplace violence (Jenkins , Anderson Tyler , 2004 . Moreover , it was established that from 1992 to 2001 , for every workplace homicide committed , the estimated expense was 836 ,533 (Jenkins et al , 2004

There are several factors responsible for the such acts to be committed . they are the following : the recent subduing of the economy the current wave of outsourcing and downsizing , salary embellishments wage deductions and the prevalent view that bonuses given do not suffice (Gurchiek , 2005

It is the primary duty of the employers to look out for the welfare of their employees . It is the employer 's responsibility to take the necessary precautions concerning the safety of the employees with regards to workplace violence . Legal sanctions are given to employers who could not guarantee a safe workplace , and for...