Campaigning to stop violence in the workplace
Violence at Work, meaning attacks on workers by members of the public, clients and service users, is a major health and safety hazard in many workplaces. It is important to note that violence at work can also mean attacks by other members of staff.
As a result of the Government’s austerity agenda with cuts to jobs, services and the welfare state we are witnessing increased incidents of members being attacked or abused just for doing their job. Special needs classroom assistants can be attacked by their students, patients can attack nurses or carers, someone denied benefits can take it out on the civil servant who has to give them the news.
This booklet is designed as a guide to help union reps tackle the problem. It sets out the role of the employer and what members should do if an incident occurs.
It concentrates on attacks by members of the public on workers, providing an overview of the problem, causes and effects of violence at work, including the relevant law.