Preventing Workplace Abuse

• Wokplace Abuse Often Leads to Workplace Violencefight floppy image by Pali A from Fotolia.com
  
  Stopping workplace abuse before it starts is key to good management and preventing litigation that negatively affects business. Sometimes it is difficult to recognize workplace abuse. No one wants to lose their source of income, become the workplace tattle tale or otherwise develop a title as a non-productive employee.
  
  

Workplace Abuse Effects on Employers

• High turnover rate is the most costly effect of workplace abuse. It takes a great deal of resources to hire and train an employee only to have to do it repeatedly because of an abusive manager or subordinate.
  
  Workplace abuse also affects morale negatively. It is difficult to like where you work if abuse is occurring.
  
  Lawsuits are another side effect of workplace abuse. It is costly to keep a lawyer on retainer and to pay court costs and damages because employers allow abuse to occur.
  
  

Workplace Abuse Effects on Employee

• Workplace abuse leads to increased absences, low productivity and a soured attitude towards work. All of the issues of workplace abuse are related to issues of power and control and are the same issues found in domestic abuse.
  
  Stress from on-going abuse at work makes workers complain of depression, anxiety, physical illnesses and post-traumatic stress disorder. Workplace abuse is stressful and can bring on stress-related illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure and immune system problems.
  
  

Legislation and Workplace Abuse

• Massachusetts Senate Bill 699 was introduced by State Senator and Assistant Majority Leader Joan Menard. It is called the Healthy Workplace Act and addresses "workplace bullying, mobbing, and harassment, without regard to protected class status."
  
  The bill states that "37 to 59 percent of employees experience health-endangering workplace bullying, abuse, and harassment, and this mistreatment is approximately four times more prevalent than sexual harassment alone."
  
  

What to do if Abused at Work

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  If workplace abuse is suspected, contact a supervisor, owner, vice-president or president of your company to discuss the situation. If there is a employee contract or handbook, consult it first--know your rights. Make sure to start chronicling your day to have a complete record of the incidents. Charges of abuse or discrimination are serious. If possible, don't quit or walk off the job but also don't endanger your life. If threats of violence are a part of the abuse, get to a safe place, call the local police and make a police report about the incident.