Everybody flocks to a fight. From the schoolyard to the factory, nothing like a fistfight to bring people together. It must be part of human nature to be attracted to two people going at it in the old school fashion. Even in the workplace, it gives people something to talk about for weeks. And when a fist fight breaks out at the Washington Post it not only makes news in the news room, but tongues are wagging around the country and even around the world.
It’s the Washington Post, after all. One of the big news national voices. The Nixon Watergate Scandal, and all that. So when one reporter slugs another, even if it is a wienie punch, it is still a punch heard around the world. Or at least some parts of it.
But this is the 21st Century, after all. People aren’t supposed to fight. Civilized people anyway. Nevertheless, what we are supposed to do and what we actually do are often two different things. In the case of violence in the work place, it costs employers close to $40 Billion, annually. At least, that’s when a lot more people were working. The average lawsuit, regarding violence in the workplace, can settle for $1 Million or more. It is costly. People do get hurt. This incident was one single punch. But people are murdered int he workplace or badly beaten. There is injury and public embarrassment.
While running background checks won’t guarantee against violence int he workplace, they do go a long way against screening against it. Criminal background checks and various records, such as motor vehicle driving records, or MVRs, can help determine behavior patterns as well as demonstrate past history. You can see criminal records that deal with violence and especially domestic violence and spousal abuse. This could be a red flag that someone who doesn’t particularly like the opposite sex will lash out in the work place.
Professional reference verification and personal reference verification searches can be conducted to obtain former manager’s and coworker’s takes on you employment candidate’s personality. County Civil Background Searches, can show domestic issues or civil issues where the candiate acted in behavior not in keeping with either his prospective position or your working environment.
There is a lot of workplace violence out there. Serious workplace violence. In this economic downturn, workers are frustrated. Employees burdened with fears of losing their jobs and financial concerns can react in volatile and violent ways. People will act out. Best to sort it out early, and few tools are better than background checks to help you do so.
Check them out before you hire.
