European OSHA Reporting Increase in Workplace Violence
Bullying, harassment and physical violence are on the rise in Europe and employers and governments aren’t doing enough to prevent it, according to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). According to a report entitled Workplace Violence and Harassment: A European Picture, between five and 20 percent of European workers are affected by workplace violence.While 40 percent of European managers are concerned about workplace violence and harassment, only 25 percent of them have implemented procedures to deal with it. In some European Union (EU) countries fewer than 10 percent of managers have done so.
According to EU-OSHA, the problem is most evident in the health, education and social work fields, with more than 50 percent of managers identifying it as a health and safety issue.
"Workplace harassment can lead to stress, long-term sick leave and even suicide," says EU-OSHA director Jukka Takala. "The economic consequences are reduced productivity, increased sickness absence, higher turnover of staff and premature retirement due to disability, at often early ages."
