Five Common Mistakes Organizations Make in Workplace Violence Prevention — and How to Fix Them
Why Workplace Violence Prevention Still Misses the Mark
Workplace violence is no longer something organizations can treat as a rare or unpredictable event. Across the country — and especially here in California under SB553 — workplace violence has become a core operational risk that affects every sector: healthcare, social services, retail, education, corporate offices, manufacturing, and even remote environments.
And yet, when I’m brought in to assess or strengthen a workplace violence prevention program (or build one from the ground up), I consistently see the same patterns: programs that exist on paper but don’t function in practice, staff who are unsure of what to do in a real incident, and organizations that unintentionally place employees in high-risk situations because their procedures haven’t evolved with modern workplace realities.
The biggest problem is not a lack of good intentions. Most leaders want to protect their workforce. The gap is that workplace violence prevention is complex — and without expert guidance, organizations fall into the same avoidable traps.
Below are the five most common mistakes I see across industries, why they matter, and what organizations can do to fix them immediately.
Treating Workplace Violence Prevention Like an HR Policy Instead of an Operational Program: One of the most widespread misconceptions is that a workplace violence prevention plan is simply an HR document. Many organizations have a policy buried in their handbook or posted in a PDF somewhere—and believe this satisfies compliance and keeps staff safe.
It doesn’t.
A policy is passive. A program is active.
A real workplace violence prevention program requires systems, including:
- Clear operational procedures: Employees must know exactly what to do when they feel unsafe, witness concerning behavior, or experience an incident.
- Environmental and behavioral hazard identification: This includes risk assessments of physical spaces, work tasks, and client interactions.
- A structured threat assessment and management process: Not just “tell HR” — but a multidisciplinary team that evaluates behavioral concerns and coordinates responses.
- A reporting and documentation system: Anonymous reporting options, incident logs, and ongoing hazard correction processes.
- A post-incident response process: Support for impacted employees, supervisor debriefs, incident analysis, and corrective actions.
- Ongoing training — tailored to roles: Frontline workers, supervisors, security, and leadership all need different levels of expertise.
Why this mindset is dangerous:
A policy doesn’t guide action during a crisis. Employees freeze. Supervisors hesitate. Responsibility becomes unclear. In the worst cases, early warning signs are missed entirely.
How to fix it:
Shift the mindset from policy to operational program. If your WPV plan is only seen during onboarding or the annual training cycle, it’s not a functional system.
Relying on One Annual Training Instead of Continuous Learning
Annual workplace violence training does not build competency.
Not because people don’t care — but because human performance doesn’t work that way. Skills decay, teams change, and threats evolve. A once-a-year training is the same as telling someone, “Here’s how to swim — now remember it next year.”
What ongoing training should look like:
• Short micro-learning refreshers
• Scenario-based practice (classroom or simulation-based)
• Supervisor-specific refreshers
• Training for new hires outside the annual cycle
• Coaching after incidents
• Tabletop exercises for leadership and security
• Tailored modules for higher-risk functions (field work, client interactions, public-facing roles)
Why this mistake hurts organizations:
When a real incident happens, performance is poor. Staff panic. Supervisors default to instinct. People freeze or escalate unintentionally. And organizations then find themselves in preventable crises.
Fix:
Build a training ecosystem, not a one-time event. Short, frequent, context-specific training works far better — and supports compliance under SB553.
Not Having a Functional Behavioral Threat Assessment Process
This is one of the biggest gaps across organizations.
Many teams rely on informal conversations such as:
• “Let’s keep an eye on this person.”
• “Let’s hope they calm down.”
• “We don’t want to overreact.”
• “That’s probably just their personality.”
This is not threat management.
A proper threat assessment and management process includes:
- A multidisciplinary team (HR, Security, Leadership, Mental Health/Clinician if available)
- A structured method for collecting and evaluating information
- A way to identify patterns over time instead of isolated events
- Intervention pathways, ranging from supportive resources to protective measures
- Documentation and follow-up
Threat assessment is not about predicting violence — it’s about addressing problems before they escalate.
Why this mistake creates risk:
When concerning behaviors go unmanaged, they grow. Conflicts intensify. Employees feel unsafe. Incidents become more likely — and more severe.
Fix:
Create a formal Threat Assessment Team (TAT) and give them a clear, teachable process. This single step significantly reduces workplace risk.
Overlooking Remote, Hybrid, and Off-Site Workers
This is one of the most rapidly growing blind spots — and one that SB553 specifically addresses.
Work isn’t just in the office anymore. It’s:
• In client homes
• In community settings
• On the road
• In remote offices
• In shared coworking spaces
• In retail and public environments
• In virtual meetings and chats
Many current WPV plans do not cover these environments, leaving huge risk exposure for:
• Social service and outreach staff
• Case managers
• Inspectors and field workers
• Home health personnel
• Remote employees experiencing domestic violence
• Customer-facing employees
• Couriers and delivery teams
Why ignoring this group is problematic:
These employees often work alone, in unpredictable environments, without immediate support — making them the highest-risk category.
Fix:
Integrate remote and field workers into every part of your program:
• Field safety protocols
• Check-in systems
• Working-alone procedures
• Remote harassment protocols
• Situational awareness training
• Personal safety strategies
• Clear reporting pathways
• Technology tools (GPS, emergency apps, communication plans)
Failing to Train Supervisors on Early Recognition and Intervention
Supervisors are the backbone of workplace violence prevention, yet they are often the least trained group.
Supervisors must know how to:
• Identify early warning signs
• Document concerns properly
• Address escalating behavior
• Support employees experiencing threats or harassment
• Address conflict before it becomes a safety issue
• Escalate concerns to HR, Safety, or the Threat Assessment Team
• Conduct post-incident debriefs
• Recognize signs of trauma or burnout in their teams
Why this is a top contributor to preventable incidents:
Supervisors often feel torn between:
• Not wanting to overreact
• Not wanting to violate privacy
• Not wanting to “cause trouble”
This hesitation leads to delayed responses that allow risk to escalate.
Fix:
Provide structured, scenario-based supervisor training.
Even 2–4 hours of focused training dramatically improves organizational safety.
Conclusion: A Safer Workplace Starts with a Better System — Not a Better Document
Workplace violence prevention is not about fear. It’s about preparation, clarity, and culture.
Programs fail when they are:
• Treated as paperwork
• Only trained once a year
• Missing real-time threat assessment
• Outdated for remote and community work
• Unsupported by well-trained supervisors
But when organizations invest even modest effort into these five areas, the results are immediate:
• Fewer incidents
• Higher employee confidence
• Stronger retention
• Better compliance
• A safer, healthier workplace culture
If your WPV program hasn’t been updated recently — or if you want an expert review — Secure Measures is here to help. Be safe out there!
