Sample Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
Organization: [Organization name]
Policy number: [Number]
Effective date: [Date]
Policy administrator: [Name or position]
Approved by: [Name or governing body]
Review date: [Date]
1. Purpose
[Organization name] is committed to providing a workplace where employees and others can perform their responsibilities without violence, threats, intimidation, or retaliation.
The organization will identify workplace violence hazards, implement prevention measures, provide training, respond promptly to reports, and support individuals affected by incidents.
Workplace violence is a safety concern that must be addressed. Employees are not expected to accept threats or assaults as a normal part of their jobs.
2. Scope
This policy applies to employees, supervisors, executives, temporary workers, volunteers, contractors, and others conducting business for the organization.
It covers work-related conduct occurring:
At organization facilities, parking areas, and surrounding grounds under its control.
At customer, client, patient, or community locations.
During business travel, deliveries, field assignments, and organization-sponsored events.
Through telephone calls, email, messaging, social media, or other communications connected to work.
During remote work when threatening conduct has a connection to employment.
Visitors, customers, clients, patients, and other third parties must follow applicable safety and conduct requirements.
3. Definition of Workplace Violence
For this policy, workplace violence includes physical violence, threats, intimidation, stalking, and other threatening conduct connected to work, whether or not an injury occurs.
Examples include:
Hitting, pushing, kicking, biting, grabbing, or other physical attacks.
Threatening to injure or kill another person.
Displaying or using a weapon to threaten or intimidate.
Blocking an exit, pursuing someone, or preventing a person from leaving.
Stalking, repeated unwanted contact, or threatening surveillance.
Throwing objects or damaging property in a threatening manner.
Threatening electronic communications.
Domestic or intimate partner violence that creates a workplace safety risk.
A near miss is an event that could have caused injury or harm but did not. Near misses must also be reported.
Workplace violence may involve a person with no legitimate business relationship, a customer or service recipient, a current or former worker, or someone with a personal relationship with an employee.
4. Prohibited Conduct
The organization prohibits violence, threats, intimidation, stalking, and retaliation.
Employees must not:
Engage in prohibited conduct or encourage another person to do so.
Use threatening gestures or statements to resolve disagreements.
Bring, possess, display, or use weapons in violation of applicable law or the organization’s weapons policy.
Interfere with emergency response, reporting, or an investigation.
Retaliate against anyone who raises a concern or participates in a review.
Reports will be assessed based on the circumstances and available facts. A commitment to addressing every report does not mean every incident will result in the same disciplinary action.
Good-faith reporting, lawful protected activity, requesting assistance, and reasonable actions to escape immediate danger are not prohibited by this policy.
5. Responsibilities
Organizational leadership will:
Assign responsibility and provide resources for implementing this policy.
Support employee participation in identifying hazards and improving procedures.
Ensure reported concerns receive appropriate attention.
Review significant incidents and corrective actions.
The policy administrator will:
Coordinate hazard assessments, training, reporting, and program reviews.
Maintain reporting channels and required records.
Coordinate with human resources, security, management, emergency responders, and other qualified resources.
Track corrective actions until completion.
Supervisors will:
Explain reporting procedures and respond promptly to concerns.
Immediately escalate urgent threats.
Forward reports to the policy administrator without screening out concerns they consider minor.
Implement assigned safety measures and monitor for retaliation.
Avoid requiring employees to confront a person they fear.
Employees will:
Follow safety procedures and participate in required training.
Report threats, incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions promptly.
Seek assistance when a situation exceeds their role or training.
Cooperate with reviews and investigations.
Avoid intervening physically unless necessary for immediate protection and consistent with applicable law and authorized duties.
6. Hazard Assessment and Prevention
The organization will assess workplace violence hazards before implementing this policy, at least annually afterward, and when incidents or significant operational changes indicate a need.
Assessments will include employee input and consideration of:
Prior incidents, near misses, and employee concerns.
Public access, visitor management, and building security.
Lighting, visibility, exits, and room arrangement.
Working alone, after hours, or in isolated locations.
Cash handling, deliveries, transportation, and fieldwork.
Customer or client interactions involving conflict, service denial, or enforcement of rules.
Staffing, communication systems, and access to assistance.
Domestic violence or stalking concerns affecting work.
Coordination with host employers, contractors, and shared facilities.
Controls may include improved access management, clear exit routes, alarms, safer meeting arrangements, check-in procedures, paired assignments, staffing adjustments, and procedures for ending unsafe encounters.
Training will support these controls; it will not replace correcting identified hazards.
Each corrective action will have an assigned owner, target completion date, and documented follow-up. Temporary protective measures will be used when a permanent correction cannot be completed immediately.
7. Recognizing and Reporting Concerns
Employees should report observable conduct and circumstances, including:
Direct or implied threats.
Increasingly threatening communications.
Following, cornering, or blocking another person.
Attempts to gain unauthorized access.
Threatening references to weapons or specific plans to harm.
Repeated boundary violations.
Property damage associated with intimidation.
Escalating behavior that creates a reasonable safety concern.
Reports should describe what was said or done, the context, and any changes over time.
Assessments must focus on behavior and circumstances. A person’s diagnosis, disability, appearance, background, or ordinary expression of frustration does not, by itself, establish that the person poses a threat.
8. Reporting Procedures
For immediate danger, move to safety and call 911 or the applicable local emergency number. Do not wait for management approval.
For nonemergency concerns, report through any of these channels:
Reporting channel | Contact |
Immediate supervisor | [Contact information] |
Human resources | [Contact information] |
Policy administrator | [Contact information] |
Security or designated responder | [Contact information] |
Alternate contact when management is involved | [Contact information] |
Anonymous reporting option, if available | [Instructions] |
Employees may bypass their supervisor, particularly when the supervisor is involved in the concern or has not responded.
Reports may be verbal or written. Employees do not need proof, an injury, or a completed form before reporting. Anonymous reports will be reviewed to the extent the available information permits.
When safely available, include:
Date, time, and location.
Names or descriptions of people involved.
Specific words, actions, and circumstances.
Injuries, damage, or immediate safety needs.
Witnesses and available evidence.
Whether emergency services were contacted.
Preserve relevant messages and records. Do not investigate independently, confront the person, or take risks to obtain evidence.
The designated recipient will assess urgency upon receipt. Nonemergency reports should ordinarily be acknowledged within one business day. These reporting channels are not a substitute for emergency services.
9. Immediate Response
Employees facing threatening behavior should, when safe:
Create distance and maintain access to an exit.
Use brief, calm communication if continued interaction is safe.
End the interaction when threats or unsafe conduct continue.
Notify designated responders and follow emergency instructions.
Evacuate or secure their location as directed by conditions and the site emergency plan.
Employees are not required to continue de-escalation when doing so increases danger.
Do not pursue, surround, disarm, or attempt to detain a threatening person. Physical intervention is not a routine employee responsibility. Any authorized security or care-related intervention must follow separate procedures, applicable law, and role-specific training.
The site emergency plan will identify alert methods, evacuation routes, shelter procedures, assembly locations, accessibility arrangements, and responsibility for contacting responders.
10. Assessment and Investigation
The organization will promptly review reports and determine necessary protective measures.
Depending on the circumstances, the review may involve management, human resources, security, legal counsel, qualified threat assessment professionals, or law enforcement.
The review will:
Assess immediate and continuing risks.
Gather relevant accounts and available evidence.
Consider the context, specificity, pattern, and escalation of conduct.
Identify workplace conditions that contributed to the event.
Document findings, protective measures, and corrective actions.
Establish responsibility for follow-up.
Interim measures may include changes to access, assignments, schedules, meeting arrangements, or reporting relationships. Interim measures are protective steps and do not, by themselves, establish misconduct.
Information will be shared only as reasonably necessary for safety, investigation, support, and legal obligations. Absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
The reporting person will receive an appropriate update, subject to privacy restrictions.
11. Domestic Violence and Stalking
Employees are encouraged to seek assistance when domestic violence, stalking, or another personal threat may affect workplace safety.
The organization will work with the affected employee to consider measures such as:
Changes to contact information, schedules, or work locations.
Visitor restrictions and reception instructions.
Parking assistance or escorts.
Safe communication arrangements.
Applicable leave or accommodation options.
Relevant information from protective orders.
Employees will not be disciplined solely because they are victims of abuse or seek assistance. Personal information will be handled with care and shared only as necessary.
12. Nonretaliation
Retaliation is prohibited against anyone who, in good faith:
Reports a concern, injury, incident, or near miss.
Requests assistance or emergency services.
Participates in an investigation.
Raises concerns about prevention measures.
Exercises applicable workplace safety rights.
Retaliation may include threats, exclusion, punitive scheduling, unjustified discipline, or pressure to withdraw a report.
A report that cannot be substantiated is not automatically a false report. Knowingly fabricating information may result in corrective action.
Employees may report concerns to appropriate external authorities without first completing internal reporting procedures.
13. Training
Employees will receive training at initial assignment, at least annually, and when new hazards or revised procedures require additional instruction. These are organizational minimums; additional applicable requirements will be followed.
Training will address:
This policy and available reporting channels.
Hazards and controls relevant to the employee’s duties.
Recognition of threatening conduct.
Communication, boundaries, and de-escalation.
When to disengage and obtain help.
Emergency alerts, evacuation, and shelter procedures.
Incident reporting, nonretaliation, and available support.
Training will be understandable, accessible, and appropriate to employees’ language and job responsibilities. Supervisors and designated responders will receive additional instruction for their roles.
Physical intervention, restraint, or self-defense instruction, if authorized, requires a separate training and competency process.
14. Postincident Support
Following an incident, the organization will:
Arrange emergency assistance and appropriate medical evaluation.
Secure the area and address continuing hazards.
Preserve relevant evidence.
Provide information about available employee support and reporting processes.
Consider temporary work adjustments.
Conduct a nonpunitive operational review.
Communicate relevant safety improvements.
Employees will not be required to participate in group emotional debriefings or publicly describe traumatic experiences.
15. Documentation and Records
The policy administrator will maintain appropriate records of:
Reports, incidents, and near misses.
Investigations and corrective actions.
Hazard assessments.
Training and program reviews.
Records will be stored securely with access limited by role. Medical information will be maintained separately from routine incident records.
Retention periods, employee access procedures, and required regulatory notifications will be specified in the organization’s records schedule and applicable site addenda before adoption.
Internal reports do not replace required injury records or external notifications.
16. Corrective Action
Violations may result in corrective action, up to and including termination, consistent with the circumstances, applicable law, and contractual obligations.
Actions involving nonemployees may include access restrictions, removal from premises, contract action, or referral to authorities.
Where the organization provides essential care or services, protective measures and service decisions must also follow applicable care, disability, and continuity requirements.
17. Program Review
The policy administrator will review this policy and its implementation at least annually and after significant incidents or identified failures.
The review will evaluate reporting accessibility, employee feedback, incident patterns, corrective action completion, training effectiveness, and emergency readiness.
An increase in reporting will not automatically be treated as declining safety; it may reflect improved confidence in the reporting process.
18. Adoption and Employee Acknowledgment
Before implementation, leadership will complete the contact information, assign response responsibilities, approve site emergency procedures, establish recordkeeping requirements, and communicate the policy to employees.
Employee acknowledgment
I acknowledge that I received this policy, understand how to report concerns and obtain emergency assistance, and know where to direct questions. My signature confirms receipt and does not waive any rights.
Employee name: ______________________________
Signature: __________________________________
Date: ______________________________________
Approved by: ________________________________
Approval date: _______________________________
19. References
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Workplace Violence Overview. U.S. Department of Labor.https://www.osha.gov/workplace-violence
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2016). Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers. OSHA Publication 3148-06R 2016. U.S. Department of Labor.https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3148.pdf
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Workplace Violence Prevention Programs. U.S. Department of Labor.https://www.osha.gov/workplace-violence/prevention-programs
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Whistleblower Protection Programs. U.S. Department of Labor.https://www.whistleblowers.gov/
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 29 CFR 1904.39: Reporting Fatalities, Hospitalizations, Amputations, and Losses of an Eye as a Result of Work-Related Incidents to OSHA. U.S. Department of Labor.https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.39
Sources accessed: October 17, 2026.
Application note: These references inform the policy’s prevention framework. OSHA guidance documents are advisory and do not independently establish legal requirements. Organizational procedures, reporting targets, and training schedules must be reviewed against applicable federal, state, and industry requirements before adoption.
