Employee well-being is, and will continue to be, a core workplace focus. It’s increasingly important given the fast-paced world we live in, economic uncertainties, and the uptick in violence being reported across news cycles. These factors impact society at large and can erode our mental well-being and sense of security.
Given these circumstances, my company, Traliant, recently conducted a survey of more than 1,000 workers to get to the root of employee well-being. The results give insight on the state of employees’ mental health and point to some of the leading factors causing them to feel stressed or anxious. As expected, personal struggles—whether it be family conflict, physical health, or even lack of sleep—were some of the more common contributors. And at a workplace level, employees reported that burnout, toxic cultures, and even wage stagnation are leading to elevated stress.
There is, however, another taboo issue that is impacting employees’ mental well-being—safety. Employees have good reason to be concerned about safety at work. Workplace violence—which, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Association (OSHA), includes both physical violence and harassment, intimidation, and threats—impacts nearly two million U.S. workers every year. Traliant’s report found that almost one in four employees witnessed workplace violence in the last five years and that 12% were the target of violence themselves.
Research has shown a correlation between workplace violence—including harassment—and mental health, which indicates that safety concerns will continue to impact mental well-being if not recognized. For instance, a workplace where harassment is not properly addressed can make workers feel anxious or unsafe about the behavior itself but can also cause anxiety about reporting misconduct, due to fear of retaliation. In fact, Traliant’s data found that one-third of employees would report harassment or other misconduct only if they could do so anonymously. Acts of violence are also now the third-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the U.S., underscoring the importance of prioritizing workplace violence prevention to keep employees safe—both physically and psychologically.
Related: A third of employees have faced bullying
So, how prepared are organizations to address the impacts of workplace violence? The short answer: There’s still a lot of work to do.
According to Traliant’s data, 40% of employees feel their employers are not well prepared to effectively respond to workplace violence. If an organization isn’t prepared to address acts of violence, or does not see the correlation to employees’ mental health, employees’ safety is simply being overlooked.
Employers need to look at mental health strategies beyond just promoting better work-life balance, more vacation days, gym stipends, and meditation apps. They need to take employees’ safety more seriously, and there are several preventive strategies they should consider.
Establish Policies for Workplace Violence & Harassment Prevention
Having a written policy is key because it lets everyone know that the organization takes workplace violence and harassment seriously. Most employers know that a harassment-prevention policy is essential. It’s the same for workplace violence prevention. OSHA requires employers to provide a safe workplace and can act against employers that don’t. Having a written workplace violence-prevention policy shows both employees and regulators that workplace violence is being addressed.
To get an idea of what a policy might include, employers can look at the requirements for workplace violence plans in California’s new workplace violence prevention law. Effective July 1, 2024, this law is the first of its kind to take a preventive approach to workplace violence and ensures that employers can be both proactive and reactive to workplace incidents. While employers outside California are not yet required to have workplace violence-prevention plans, other states are looking at passing similar laws. And, in Traliant’s survey, 90% of employees said that their states should adopt a law like the one in California.
Organizations that put workplace violence-prevention policies in place now will be ahead of the game. While policies don’t need to include all the detail that California requires, an effective policy should make clear that acts of violence—including threats—will not be tolerated. Additionally, the policy should provide employees guidance on what to do in an emergency, how to report workplace violence concerns, what the employer will do to address reports, and lastly, that the organization won’t retaliate against any employee who raises a concern.
Provide Regular Training
Once workplace violence- and harassment-prevention policies are in place, it’s important to train employees on what the policies say. Training should also educate employees on how to recognize harassment and the early warning signs of violence from coworkers and others.
Related: Workplace violence and harassment are rampant
Additionally, training ensures that employees are prepared for incidents should they occur by guiding them through the process of reporting concerns and reiterating that retaliation won’t happen. Particularly in cases with harassment and misconduct where behaviors may not be known to others, employees want to feel confident in their employers’ resources and processes without fearing any safety or even job backlash.
Recognize that Workplace Safety and Mental Health are intertwined
It’s important for organizations to continue addressing the more common contributors to poor mental well-being, such as burnout, and physical health. But workplace violence- and harassment-prevention strategies need to be built into the approach as well because they play a far larger role than many may realize.
Recognizing the correlation between safety and mental health not only enhances employers’ ability to protect employees, but it also positions them as forward-thinking and aware of the variety of stressors that are impacting employees today.
Employees cannot do their best work if they’re living in a state of poor mental health. Today, that also includes feeling safe at work. Organizations that aren’t proactive in their workplace safety strategies are doing both the business and their employees a disservice.
