Local Authority
Abuse and attack on Local Authority workers is now a priority issue for many local governments and trade unions. Equally, employers must meet legislative requirements that stipulate precautions have to be taken in order to protect the health and safety of their employees.
KEY WORKERS & THE RISKS
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Community Care Workers - Working with vulnerable groups in deprived areas can increase the risk of violence.
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Emergency Duty Teams - Often unaware of the situation in which they are about to enter. Working with vulnerable groups in deprived areas can increase the risk of violence.
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Environmental Officers - Often work alone in remote areas. At risk from violence as well as accidents at work.
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Housing Benefits Officers - Verbal and physical abuse from tenants, and those who reside in void properties (who could be under the influence of alcohol and other substances).
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Probation Officers - At a high risk of violence due to the nature of this work.
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Social Workers - Working with vulnerable groups in deprived areas can increase the risk of violence.
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Specialist Teaching staff - Often working in the homes of excluded children or those with special needs increases the risk of violence.
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Social Services teams - At a high risk of violence due to the nature of this work.
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Traffic Wardens - At a high risk of verbal and physical abuse from disgruntled members of the public.
Work-related violence is a major contributing factor to unhealthy stress levels that will seriously effect employers and employees alike; stress-related costs have been calculated at:
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£700 million annually to UK employers
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£7 billion to society
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An average number of 29 days per year taken off work
Birmingham City Council became the first employer in the UK to admit liability for a stress-related illness, which resulted in a compensation payment of £67,400. According to Health & Safety Executive statistics, the average Health & Safety fine per offence in higher courts rose from £18,189 in 2000/01 to £24,460 in 2001/02. Because of this unions are encouraging innovative ways of addressing the core issues creating stress, one of which is abusive or aggressive working environments. Identicom helps to reduce unnecessary high levels of stress and has the following benefits for both the employer and employee:
Identicom benefits to the employer:
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This system will record incidents of verbal and physical attack on an employee, as a direct result of a voice channel being opened when the device is activated.
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Recording of an attack can be used in support of any action that the organisation pursues, or as supporting evidence towards subsequent legal action taken by the police.
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Increased public perception brought about by the organisation proactively working to reduce the growing number of attacks on staff, including incidents of aggression, verbal abuse, assault, sexual harassment and racial and physical abuse.
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Providing a deterrent effect to would-be assailants.
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Increased productivity of workers created by significantly reducing stress created through a ‘climate of fear’ within the working environment
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Significantly reducing potential costs from: sickness absenteeism, reduced productivity, replacement costs and additional retirement costs, and further costs due to damage in production or equipment as well as costs associated with grievance and litigation.
Identicom benefits to the employee:
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Reduced levels of stress caused by exposure to violence at work.
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Ability to perform one's work at optimum productivity.
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Significantly reducing potential costs from: loss of income due to sickness or injury absenteeism, early exit from work or retirement costs, medication and medical consultation expenses, additional costs and effects on employee’s private and social life, including lack of morale and low self-esteem.
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Gives the worker peace of mind and confidence in that their employer is proactively helping to protect them from abuse.
