Healthy,
safe and
productive lives
and enterprises

Tackling 3rd-Party Violence and Harassment at Work.

 

Violence at Work

The EU level employer and trade union organisations signed guidelines in 2010 to help tackle third party violence and harassment at work.

Third-party violence and harassment can be a real problem for workers in many different sectors.

A 2005 survey indicated that 5% of EU workers have been exposed to violence at work and 75% of cases involved someone from outside of the workplace.

The guidelines aim to cut, prevent and mitigate violence by setting out practical measures such as:

 
  • Increasing awareness and understanding of the issue among employers, workers and public authorities (such as health and safety agencies and the Gardai)
  • Properly assessing the risks posed by third party violence in different workplaces and job functions
  • Training managers and workers in how to prevent, or if necessary, manage the problem
  • Setting up policies and systems for monitoring, reporting and investigating incidents and providing support to victims.
Slamming Fist on Table
 The guidelines build on the 2007 social partner framework agreement on harassment and violence at work