Physical Abuse At Work
Physical abuse at work sits at a point most workplace processes handle badly, because assault is a criminal offence as well as a workplace matter.
When an employer treats it as an internal conduct issue first, three things tend to go wrong. The person is discouraged, often unintentionally, from going to police. An internal investigation with statements taken by untrained staff can compromise a later criminal one. And the strongest internal outcome, dismissal, sits far below what the conduct warrants.
The safer sequence is to deal with immediate safety first by separating the people involved, then tell the person clearly that reporting to police is available, that the choice is theirs, that support is provided either way, and that the employer will meet its own obligations regardless of what they decide.
Support services are available at any point.
Safe Work Australia covers occupational violence. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.
See Sentrient’s occupational violence and aggression training and incident reporting software.
What Is Physical Abuse In The Workplace?
Physical abuse in the workplace is any form of physical violence or harm inflicted upon an employee by another person in the workplace. This can include things like hitting, pushing, shoving, or even throwing objects. Physical abuse can also include the use of weapons or the threat of violence. Physical abuse can have serious and […]
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