Preventing Workplace Violence: A Guide for Employers and Practitioners

By Mark Braverman

Book Overview

The people on the front line those responsible for the safety and health of the workplace-understand the costs of threats, assaults, and fear on the morale and productivity of their employees. They also understand the costs of negative publicity, bad public relations, and litigation on the survival of their enterprises. Violence in the workplace, whether it comes from the outside or originates from within, is a frightening prospect. How can it be prevented? Through real-world cases, Preventing Workplace Violence provides a detailed look at how traditional tools for occupational health and safety, discipline, and employee relations are inadequate and inappropriate in responding to the problem of workplace violence. In fact, the methods and approaches commonly in use actually worsen the problem in some cases. This book summarizes the most up-to-date learning in this area and offers practical guidance and recommendations for assessing the risk of violence, steps for preventing workplace violence, and a thorough discussion of employee rights and employer responsibilities. Highly recommended for employers, managers, union leaders, attorneys, consultants, and others who confront the issue of violence in the workplace. Preventing Workplace Violence will be invaluable to scholars and professionals in management, organizational studies, human resources, interpersonal violence, gender studies, industrial psychology, public administration, social psychology, sociology of work, social work, clinical and counseling psychology, business psychology, and organizational behavior.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761906150
• ISBN13: 9780761906155
• Release Date: December 1998
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc.
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

This is the book to buy

As a forensic psychologist who conducts threat assessments and fitness-for-duty evaluations of potentially violent employees, I found Dr. Braverman's book to be the most informative, readable, and practical text available. I recommend it highly to HR professionals, Occupational Health physicians and nurses, employment lawyers (don't be offended by some of Dr. Braverman's constructive criticism of too-conservative corporate counsel!), Employee Assistance professionals, union officials, security officers, anyone who worries about a co-worker's potential for violence, and anyone who has been accused of threatening violence on the job. If more employers took Dr. Braverman's advice, workplace homicides and other forms of violence (e.g., assualts, harassment, hostile work environment, threats, intimidation) would decrease, employee stress would diminish, and worker productivity would improve.

A very helpful guide

This is the best book on this topic I have seen. As the owner of a mid-sized company, I run into violence, threat and harassment situations almost weekly. The book is intelligent, has useful case studies, and concise guidelines on how to develop and implement policy. The author knows his stuff and has a humane, reasonable approach to these tricky issues.