20% of Workforce Subjected to Workplace Violence

In late January 2023 the Lloyds Register Foundation, a charitable organisation released the results of its survey entitled Safe at Work? Global experiences of violence and harassment into the public domain for consumption by the wider population. The main headline figure from the Lloyds Register Foundation survey results highlighted that approximately twenty per cent of the workforce had found themselves subjected to violence in the working environment. It also found that just shy of sixty percent of persons approached to provide their opinion communicated their perception that they have been subjected to incidents involving psychological harassment over three occasions. 

Our Survey Said…

Like everything in life there are trade-offs and survey results are no exception. In this regard, the organisers of the survey approached over one hundred and twenty-five from over one hundred and twenty global countries for their personal opinion and take on harassment and violence in the working environment. It also sought to launch an investigation into how often such workplace incidents are taking place and the essence of it. When the organisers of the survey deep-dived into the results of the research they found two further findings. The first was that just over fifty percent of those who had been approached for a response to the questions in the piece of research disclosed that they had been on the receiving end of violent conduct of a sexual nature and a minor percentage more reported being subjected to the aggressive behaviour of a physical nature. Both instances may on the evidence be interpreted as harassment or violence. 
The report did not simply stop there. It released some further statistics which were food for thought in this fascinating area. It reported the following: 

• unwanted conduct of a psychological nature was reportedly the most prevalent type of behaviour both sexes had been subjected to
•  however, just shy of twenty percent of those in the female demographic reportedly were subjected to aggressive, hostile and intimidating behaviour from their colleagues, the great majority of this behaviour appears to have been based on the protected characteristic of their sex
• this contrasted starkly with those persons occupying the male demographic, whereby just under half of those in this field suffered such behaviour due to this characteristic 
•  one-fifth of those approached for the perspective approached for their opinion in this area commented that the most pervasive experience was the amalgam between the violence of a physical and psychological nature and harassment)    
• when the investigators conducted a deeper dive into the results in a microscopic and forensic detail it found that in several subsections they found that thirty per cent of the female demographic from a migrant background had been subjected to intimidating, hostile and offensive conduct which could be interpreted as unwanted conduct. In context, this compared to two-fifths of the domestically raised female demographic and
• just over sixty per cent of domestically emanating persons from the female demographic notified a trusted person regarding their exposure to intimidating behaviour. This contrasted starkly with those from overseas where this figure was just under sixty per cent.          
• Next Steps…

In response to the results of this survey businesses employing members of the workforce should be taking the following steps in response to its findings: 

• taking a zero-tolerance strategy
• ensuring they have equality policies in place
• checking they are being reviewed, enforced, updated and maintained and
• making sure that colleagues have a process in place whereby they can communicate their concerns about bullying, intimidation and hostile treatment on a confidential basis. 

This will go some way to preventing a recurrence of these statistics.   
ASSESSING FIRMS
#Allen&Overy #BakerMcKenzie #HerbertSmithFreehillsLLP #LewisSilkin #MishcondeReya #Simmons&Simmons #AddleshawGoddard #CliffordChanceLLP #CMS #DACBeachcroftLLP #EvershedsSutherlandLLP #LinklatersLLP #TaylorWessing #TraversSmith #Bird&Bird 

THE ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN USING THE FOLLOWING SOURCES

[SOURCE 1] The Lloyds Register Foundation World Risk Poll - Data & resources - The Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll (lrfoundation.org.uk)

[SOURCE 2] FairPlayTalks –A Fifth of Workers Worldwide Experience Violence At Work – Fair Play Talks – 26 January 2023 - A Fifth of Workers Worldwide Experience Violence at Work - Fair Play Talks

[SOURCE 3] Brand, Amelia – A fifth of Workers Have Experienced Violence and Harassment, Study Finds – HR Review – 26 January 2023 - A fifth of workers have experienced violence and harassment, study finds  - HRreview