What Can Managers Do to Mitigate Violent Employee Behaviors?

All too often we are confronted with news stories about violence occurring in the workplace. Incidents that involve physical violence and even murder make the news, but they are only one part of the workplace violence problem. Employees encounter violent behaviors—such as threats, harassment, intimidation, and bullying—more frequently in the workplace than outright physical violence. These behaviors warrant management attention because they can poison the work environment, can present legal or liability issues, and may be precursors to serious physical altercations.