Workplace Violence Policy Writers

What are Workplace Violence Policies?

Workplace violence policies define how organisations prevent, manage and respond to incidents of violence, threats or aggression in the workplace.

Violence can come from colleagues, clients, customers or members of the public. It may include verbal abuse, intimidation, physical assault or threatening behaviour.

A clear policy ensures employees are protected, incidents are taken seriously and support is provided where needed.

What Do Workplace Violence Policies Cover?

A workplace violence policy typically includes:

• A definition of workplace violence and unacceptable behaviours

• Procedures for reporting incidents, threats or concerns

• Responsibilities of managers and staff in preventing and responding to violence

• Risk assessments of roles, locations or tasks with higher exposure risks

• Preventive measures, such as secure entry systems or working in pairs

• Guidance on handling conflict and de-escalation techniques

• Support for affected employees, including access to occupational health or counselling

• Links to health and safety, dignity at work and lone working policies

A clear workplace violence policy ensures staff know what behaviours will not be tolerated and how to respond if an incident occurs.

It also supports compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which requires employers to protect employees from risks to their health and safety, including risks of violence.

By actively managing workplace violence risks, organisations can foster a safe, respectful and supportive culture. This reduces the likelihood of harm, improves staff morale and shows a clear commitment to protecting both employees and visitors.

Legal Basis

Workplace violence is governed by HASAW 1974 (duty to assess and control risk), the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 for emergency-worker scenarios, and the Equality Act 2010 (third-party harassment, now reinforced by the Worker Protection Act 2023).

The Public Order Act 1986 and Protection from Harassment Act 1997 provide criminal-route remedies.

Common Compliance Pitfalls

• Customer-facing risk assessments missing or outdated.
• Lone-worker provisions not aligned with the violence risk assessment.
• Reporting culture suppresses minor incidents, leaving the lead-indicator data blank.
• Post-incident support absent or signposted only.
• Police-prosecution decisions made by line managers without HR or legal input.

What Policy Pros Delivers

Our Workplace Violence Policy package includes the main policy, a violence risk assessment template, a lone-worker integration, a reporting and investigation procedure, a post-incident support framework (occupational health and EAP), a customer banning procedure, and a police liaison procedure.