As public employees, we may encounter a customer, client or even a co-worker who is becoming agitated or angry in our presence.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines workplace violence as any physical assault, threatening behavior or verbal abuse that occurs in the work setting. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), nearly 2 million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year. Unfortunately, many more cases go unreported.

The Commonwealth encourages angencies to develop workplace violence prevention plans for individual worksites. If you are interested in learning more, please visit the Kentucky Employee Assistance Program.