Violence and bullying have no place in any workplace. Unfortunately, they remain the reality for thousands of workers in the UK. 326,000 adults experienced work-related violence in 2016/17.
High-pressure environments can be particularly vulnerable. Shocking statistics released at the beginning of March show that one in five NHS employees have experienced harassment, with less than a third reporting their organisation is proactively addressing employee wellbeing. The amount who had suffered physical violence from the public, patients and their relatives had thankfully dropped slightly from the year before, but was still surprisingly high at 14.5%.
Stress in the NHS has been flagged as an issue for several years, with a culture of long, unpredictable hours leading to high employee turnover.
In the high-pressure environment of a medical setting, with increasing demands and the threat of abuse from the public all too strong, it’s vital that managers ensure their staff are supported. Nobody should suffer workplace violence or have to withstand aggression, but where it occurs, they should know it’s unacceptable and their managers support them.
Managing Violence and Aggression eLearning from DeltaNet
Our anti-violence and aggression eLearning course is designed to help employees protect themselves and promote a safe and harmonious workplace for everybody to enjoy.
The course looks at the trigger factors and signs to look out for. It also covers how to deal with violence and aggression in the workplace, and when and how to report incidents.
