According to The USDA Handbook on Workplace Violence Prevention and Response, “a sound prevention plan is the most important and, in the long run, the least costly portion of any agency’s workplace violence program.” This statement is underscored by the fact that workplace violence costs employers more than $120 billion every year. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) estimates that “nonfatal workplace assaults alone result in more than 876,000 lost workdays and $16 million in lost wages.”

A “sound” workplace violence prevention plan should be available to everyone within an organization, including:
• Employees
• Managers and Supervisors
• Agency Heads
• Human Resources Staff
• Employee Assistance Program Counselors
• Unions/Employee Organizations
• Security/Facilities Staff
• Law Enforcement Staff
• Conflict Resolution Offices

Workplace Violence is Everyone’s Responsibility
Workplace violence policies have to begin from the top down. Management must designate who is responsible for creating the plan, and they must follow up to ensure that a solid plan is discussed, formatted, and implemented so that everyone within an organization is aware of what to do in regard to the issues that surround workplace violence. First and foremost, workplace violence plans must include a zero-tolerance policy.

The following components should be part of any sound workplace violence prevention policy:
• A policy statement – zero tolerance, in most cases; the policy should address the organization’s position on workplace violence, identify the scope of the policy, and state the consequences for incidents of workplace violence.
• Pre-employment screening – a key component in workplace violence prevention, pre-employment screening can weed out potential perpetrators before violence occurs.
• Education and training – all employees should be educated about what workplace violence means and how to deal with incidents should they occur.
• Workplace dispute resolution – helpful in preventing workplace violence, dispute resolution may defuse personal issues before they lead to violence.
• Security – security teams are key to identifying and responding to immediate threats.
• Threat assessment – a team of individuals should be assigned the task of evaluating the vulnerability of the workplace and suggest ways to prevent workplace violence.
• Incident prevention, investigation, and record keeping – workplace violence should be thoroughly documented; even “minor” incidents should be investigated.

Although a sound workplace violence prevention plan may contain some or all of these components, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s statement that “pre-employment screening is an important part of workplace violence prevention,” should be a key factor in deciding what to include in your plan.