How Prepared Is Your Healthcare Workforce for Workplace Violence?

Healthcare organizations must prepare for a spectrum of violence - from routine aggression and behavioral escalation through to the extremely rare but high-consequence active assailant event. Healthcare workers are also up to five times more likely to experience workplace violence than workers in other industries, with incidents ranging from verbal abuse and threats to physical assaults. 

For healthcare leaders, workplace violence is no longer just a security concern; it's a workforce resilience challenge that affects employee wellbeing, patient care, staff retention, and organizational performance. 

Yet despite growing awareness of the issue, many organizations remain focused on physical security measures while overlooking a critical question: Would employees know how to recognize behavioral indicators, report concerns, and respond effectively during a violent incident? 

The Cost of Being Unprepared

Workplace violence can take many forms, from verbal threats and intimidation to physical assaults and active assailant events. While high-profile incidents often make headlines, day-to-day violence and aggression remain persistent challenges across hospitals, clinics, behavioral health facilities, and long-term care settings. The impact extends far beyond the immediate event. 

The American Hospital Association (AHA) identifies workplace violence as a significant contributor to staff burnout, turnover, lost productivity, increased operational costs, and workforce shortages across the healthcare sector.² In an industry already facing recruitment and retention challenges, the effects of workplace violence can ripple throughout an organization, affecting employee morale, patient experience, and continuity of care. 

Organizations may also face increased absenteeism, workers' compensation claims, reputational damage, and regulatory scrutiny. Violence-related incidents can disrupt operations, strain leadership resources, and undermine confidence among employees and patients alike.

Prevention Starts with People

Many workplace violence incidents are preceded by observable behavioral changes that provide opportunities for early intervention before situations escalate. Employees are often the first to notice these indicators, but only if they know what to look for and how to act. 

Research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) highlights the importance of employee awareness, reporting mechanisms, and training as key components of effective workplace violence prevention programs.³ 

Mature workplace violence prevention programs go a step further by establishing formal mechanisms to identify, assess, and manage concerning behaviors before they escalate into violence. Combined with a workforce that understands how to recognize and report behavioral indicators, these processes enable organizations to intervene earlier and reduce the likelihood of more serious incidents. 

Effective preparedness training helps staff:

• Recognize concerning behaviors and early warning indicators
• Understand reporting pathways and escalation procedures
• Identify factors that may contribute to workplace violence
• Make effective decisions under stress during violent incidents.
• Support recovery and resilience following an incident 

Creating a safer workplace requires more than policies, procedures, or physical security measures. It depends on effective governance, early intervention processes, and a workforce that is confident, informed, and prepared to act when it matters most. 

Preparedness Is More Than Compliance

Healthcare organizations face increasing expectations from regulators, accreditation bodies, employees, and communities to demonstrate meaningful workplace violence prevention efforts. 

OSHA emphasizes that employers have a responsibility to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards, including the risk of violence.⁴ At the same time, healthcare workers increasingly expect organizations to take proactive steps to protect their physical and psychological safety. 

Organizations can be fully compliant on paper while remaining operationally unprepared. 

Leaders should ask:

• Do employees know how to identify and report concerning behaviors?
• Are managers equipped to intervene before situations escalate?
• Would staff know how to respond during an active assailant event?
• Are emergency communication procedures clearly understood?
• Is there a plan to support employees and restore operations after an incident?

If the answer to any of these questions is unclear, preparedness gaps may exist that could affect both workforce safety and organizational resilience. 

Building a More Resilient Workforce 

Organizations that invest in workplace violence preparedness training strengthen their ability to prevent incidents, respond effectively during emergencies, and support recovery afterward. 

International SOS supports organizations through practical workplace violence preparedness programs that combine recognized good practice, behavioral awareness, emergency response principles and organizational resilience. 

The program covers workplace violence typologies, behavioral indicators, prevention and reporting processes, emergency communications, DHS-aligned Run-Hide-Fight principles, adapted to the realities of healthcare environments where staff may have responsibilities for vulnerable patients, and organizational recovery and workforce support following an incident. It aligns with recognized standards and guidance, including ASIS WVPI/AA-2020, NFPA 3000 (ASHER), DHS/CISA/FBI recommendations, OSHA requirements, and Canadian workplace violence prevention regulations. 

If your organization is reviewing its workplace violence prevention and preparedness capabilities, now is the time to assess whether employees have the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed to recognize risks and respond effectively. 

Download the International SOS Active Assailant & Workplace Violence Preparedness Training brochure to learn how healthcare organizations can strengthen workforce safety, support duty-of-care obligations, and improve organizational resilience. 

Sources

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workplace Violence in Healthcare and Social Assistance. https://www.bls.gov/iif/factsheets/workplace-violence-healthcare-social-assistance.htm
2. American Hospital Association. Workplace Violence in Health Care Fact Sheet. https://www.aha.org/fact-sheets/2023-04-17-workplace-violence-health-care
3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Workplace Violence Prevention for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/violence
4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Workplace Violence in Healthcare. https://www.osha.gov/healthcare/workplace-violence