Fights on workplace sites and how to deal with them

The workplace is a dynamic place, whereby changing roles and big personalities are often present. Whether you find yourself out on job or behind a desk, it is certainly a challenge to ensure that all of your employees are not only motivated, but also happy and working together harmoniously. As a manager, you must ensure that you are doing everything that you can to not only minimise the risk of employee conflict at work, but also taking the necessary steps in reporting any physical altercations.

Most recent figures from the Health and Safety Executive indicate that there were 688,000 incidents of violence at work including 299,000 assaults, which in turn resulted in 112,000 employees suffering injuries. This is the equivalent of 1.4% of the UK workforce being subject to violence and verbal aggression.

Before we delve into the tips on how to appropriately deal with a fight on site, let’s consider the definition of violence at work and what it entails.

What is classed as violence at work?

• Violence at work includes any threats, abuse or physical assaults a person suffers relating to their work. This includes both verbal and online abuse.

Defining workplace violence

• Violence at work can have detrimental impacts on workers, including physical harm. In addition, continued verbal or online abuse can harm the mental health and wellbeing of an employee.
• Employers must identify the potential for violence in the workplace towards employees and assess the risks involved.
• Employees should receive appropriate training in violence awareness and control.

Here are some tips we have put together so that you can be best prepared should such event arise, and the best way to manage both hostile and tense working environment.

The need to act quickly

You should immediately put a stop to any tense or antagonistic behaviour in the workplace. Being able to detect warning signs before it boils over is a must, and ignoring any warning signs will only amplify any frustrations, ultimately increasing the likelihood of a physical altercation. As a rule of thumb, if you hear or are made aware of any conflict between workers, make sure to inform staff that fighting will not be tolerated. Here, you can also direct them to your employee handbook for the company’s code of conflict.

Communicate with your team

If and when a problem arrives, it is imperative to have a one-to-one meeting with all those involved in the confrontation. You can allow them to talk and vent their feelings about the situation at hand, but must inform them that fighting is not only unprofessional but also inexcusable. Remind those involved that fighting at work isn’t only about them, as it has wider implications within the company and can negatively affect team morale and productivity.

Ensure to screen your staff before hiring

By having a selective and thorough recruitment process, you can prevent workplace violence from happening. Background checks should always be undertaken, and it is useful to ask potential employees during the interview process about any previous altercations during the interview process. By hiring staff members that are reliable and sensible, you will help contribute to creating a successful team that stays happy, motivated and productive.

What to do if a violent incident occurs

After an aggressive or violent event has occurred, it is important the incident is reported internally and recorded.

Work-related violent incidents may also need to be reported to the relevant enforcing authority under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).

It may also be necessary to notify the police of the incident.

All incidences of violence should be properly investigated so that recurrences can be minimised and the extent of any such situations determined.

Investigations that focus on who was to blame are generally unhelpful and it is much better to concentrate on what went wrong and how to reduce risks in the future. The results of any investigation should be shared with staff who should be, where relevant, consulted on any changes required. All staff need to be made aware of any violent incidents that have occurred and of any steps taken to reduce the risk of similar occurrences.

Provide support for your workers

There can be a significant impact on workers who are directly involved and those who witness an incident. It can affect workers’ mental and physical health.

Here are some key points to consider:

• Victims will react in different ways − consider changing a person’s job role or working conditions if they are particularly affected by the incident
• Sensitive and appropriate support will reduce the victim’s suffering, for example offer them a chance to talk openly about the incident as soon as possible
• You can offer confidential counselling if your organisation provides this, or give them the details of local counselling services, or charities such as Victim Support
• Make sure the workers dealing with post-incident situations are fully trained and know how to support their colleagues

Monitor trends

As well as providing the basis for the investigation of individual incident investigation, records of occurrences can also be used to identify trends, assist the review process and inform risk assessments.

In order to audit such events it may be useful to collate information such as:

• Number of incidents
• When they occur
• Types of staff involved
• Categories of clients involved
• Environments or locations where incidents happen
• Level of injuries sustained
• Preventative measures recommended