12.3.1: Workplace Violence
There were 849 fatalities in 2022 due to violence or injuries inflicted by people or animals in the workplace, with 524 deaths due to homicide (BLS, 2023b). According to NIOSH, over 80% of workplace homicide victims were men. For non-fatal injuries in the workplace, 73% of victims are women, and 76% of victims work in healthcare and social assistance (CDC, 2024). Violence is the fifth leading cause of workplace-related fatalities. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) identifies 4 categories of workplace violence: criminal intent, customer/client, worker-on-worker, and personal relationships - the last of which women are most often the victims (National Safety Council, 2024b). Healthcare occupations have seen increasing rates of violence over the last several years, but still only account for 4% of workplace homicides. Workers at psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals have the highest rates of non-fatal injuries intentionally inflicted by another person (BLS, 2020).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, public health workers experienced heightened public hostility - perhaps due in large part to pandemic-related work stoppages, regulations, and business closures. Threats and verbal abuse are perhaps more common than physical violence, but can have significant impacts on a public health worker’s mental health. Responding to a public health emergency already increases stress on these professionals, and combined with work-related non-physical violence can have a substantial impact on mental health and well-being - potentially leading to anxiety, depression, burnout, and leaving the public health sector altogether. The mental health needs of frontline workers should be recognized, and the appropriate support and protections put in place (Tiesman et al., 2023).