Introduction

Occupational personal safety risks are distinct from traditional health and safety hazards. While health and safety risks typically involve physical dangers like trips, falls, or chemical exposures, personal safety risks encompass the protection of employees from aggression, violence, and abusive behaviours such as harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, stalking, and other forms of misconduct in the workplace.

The Exacerbation of Risks for Lone Workers

In the post COVID era more of us are lone working due to remote or hybrid working arrangements, or travelling to and from work, meaning that we are more likely to work in settings where we are not closely or directly supervised by our employers, as defined by the Health and Safety Executive. Lone workers face heightened risks due to their isolation, lack of immediate support, frequent interactions with the public, and working in unfamiliar settings. These factors significantly increase their vulnerability to becoming victims of harmful behaviours.

The Seriousness of the Problem

The prevalence of harmful behaviours in the workplace is alarming. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were an estimated 642,000 incidents of workplace violence in 2023 and 2024, including 290,000 assaults and 352,000 threats. While 65.4% of these incidents did not result in physical injury, the remaining 34.6% led to injuries ranging from minor bruises to severe physical harm, including puncture/stab wounds, broken bones, broken nose, chipped teeth, dislocation, concussion or loss of consciousness, internal injuries, and facial or head injuries.

Misconceptions and Underreporting

There are many misconceptions amongst employers relating to the veracity or seriousness of personal safety risks affecting their workforces. In many cases, employees are not empowered or asked to report near-misses or actual incidents, and this means the employer is simply unaware of behaviours faced by staff in dealing with clients, members of the public, or even colleagues. In other cases, an employer may assume because they have a measure in place to mitigate risk, this will suffice, with the most common example being the use of lone worker technologies, which can be very effective but do not provide an all-round solution to mitigating risk. In fact, these technologies are a vital way to manage situations and provide staff with a lifeline to raise the alarm and seek support when dealing with contentious situations, and when the risk has become an issue.

Pushing for good personal safety habits in the workplace entails a policy that recognises the risk profile of the workforce and puts barriers around risks by clearly defining what behaviours are and are not acceptable, as well as how issues should be dealt with professionally. Additionally, upskilling the workforce is vital both in terms of standardising perceptions, and introduction of effective practices employees can use to better look after their personal safety.

Employee Perceptions and Reporting Barriers

Employees may also perceive facing risks and dealing with harmful behaviours as part of their job, especially if they see their colleagues tolerating similar challenges. Fear of being perceived as incapable or disadvantaged may also prevent them from reporting incidents or requesting support.

Legal Obligations

The Health and Safety Act 1974 places a general duty on employers to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of all their employees, assessing health and safety risks to workers, including the risk of work-related violence. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 outline that employers are legally required to identify the risks that employees, contractors, and members of the public may face and take steps to control or mitigate those risks through a formal risk assessment process. The Worker Protection Act, effective from October 2024, mandates proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment, with non-compliance leading to tribunal compensation and investigations by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

Emotional and Psychological Impacts

In a recent study, 94% of employers gave themselves full marks for how seriously they take the safety of their employees - reported by Workplace Wellbeing Professional website. Against this claim, only 45% of lone workers feel the same, and 33% of employees feel factors like deadlines and financial targets are considered more important than their safety.

A report by the British Medical Association recently highlighted that experiences of workplace violence can lead to various emotional and psychological impacts, including anger, sadness, feelings of worthlessness, emptiness, fatigue, and disturbances in sleep or eating patterns. These experiences can also cause staff to question their competence and confidence, potentially leading to workforce attrition. Aligned with this, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) emphasizes that workplace violence can result in physical injuries, psychological trauma, increased absenteeism, and reduced productivity. The Royal College of Nursing reports that assaults against NHS workers remain high and lead to significant consequences for staff well-being and retention, with data showing violence and aggression in the workplace can lead to burnout, mental health issues, and a higher turnover rate among healthcare professionals. Therefore, there is a significant cost at the individual employee level, and this unavoidably will cascade across the wider organisation.

Organisational Consequences

The negative outcomes for employers are substantial, encompassing employee dissatisfaction and disengagement, high staff turnover rates with associated costs, tarnished sector reputation, decreased productivity, financial losses, unmet strategic objectives, and potential legal repercussions that could result in job losses at senior management and executive levels. In the UK, workplace aggression costs between £114.64 million and £35.9 billion annually, according to a study by Nottingham Trent University. This is an expenditure that most organisations can ill afford, yet they often fail to address it by not investing relatively smaller amounts to safeguard their workforce against occupational personal safety risks.

Case Studies Highlighting Employer Liability

Several legal cases have in recent years underscored the importance of adequate employee protection. Oxfordshire County Council was Ordered to pay £230,000 in compensation to a teacher after failing to inform her about a pupil's history of attacks. London Borough of Newham Council paid £275,000 in an out-of-court settlement to a teacher assaulted by a pupil. Tesco was fined £300,000 after a customer attacked a security guard and Royal Mail was fined £50,000 after a postman was attacked by a dog.

All such cases may have been avoided with the right policies and protocols in place with advanced planning and assessment, mitigation, and management of personal safety risks, costing a fraction of the fines incurred, with far less damaging outcomes for the workforce and the wider organisation.

Challenges and Barriers

Challenges in the personal safety landscape include budgetary limitations, logistical difficulties in training large workforces, financial and opportunity costs, and lack of senior management buy-in due to ineffective data. However, a reputable provider such as the Suzy Lamplugh Trust who have been active in this field for coming up to four decades would provide a range of solutions that mitigate the aforementioned challenges and facilitate employers to implement good practice.

Conclusion

The protection of employees against abusive, aggressive, and violent behaviours is not just a legal obligation but a moral imperative. The emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of employees directly impacts organisational success. Employers must prioritise creating a safe and supportive work environment, driving effective behavioural and cultural change. By doing so, they safeguard their workforce, enhance productivity, and mitigate significant financial and reputational risks.

Now is the time for employers to act decisively. Protecting your employees is not just about compliance; it's about valuing human dignity and fostering a culture of respect and safety. Let's commit to making our workplaces safe havens where every employee feels safe and valued.

Business Case for Enhancing Employee Protection Against Abusive, Aggressive, and Violent Behaviours