Workplace Gun Violence
In the past weeks there have been reports of an employee shot in a North Las Vegas Home Depot, another shot in a Taco Bell in Los Angeles, and another shot in a Burger King in New York, that got me thinking about guns in the workplace.
In our current political climate in the United States, we can expect a rollback of gun control laws in the next few years thanks to a 6-3 conservative court. For example, this session the Supreme Court is going to rule on a case about New York’s ban on concealed carry without showing a clear special need for self-protection. They are expected to deem the law a violation of the 2nd amendment, which will call into question many other gun regulations. Evidence shows that stricter state-level policy changes are associated with decreased workplace homicides.
When focusing on the workplace, 24 states have laws that prevent employers from regulating firearms on property (specifically vehicles, but many laws include on the person). In some states (e.g., Maine, Wisconsin) this only applies to employees, meaning customers or others could be prevented from carrying a firearm. In some states the firearm must be stored out of sight (e.g., Georgia, Alabama) and/or in a locked vehicle or compartment (e.g., West Virginia, Utah, New Mexico). But in other states (e.g., Wisconsin, Virginia, Kentucky), no such limitations exist. Interestingly, of the states with these laws most grant employers immunity from any injury that results from a firearm stored in a parking lot.
Taken together, we can expect to see guns become increasingly common in and around the workplace. What does the research have to say about this? One study found that in workplaces where guns were permitted, a homicide was nearly 5x as likely compared to workplaces that banned all weapons. So clearly, and unsurprisingly, policies can make a difference.
Researchers have examined violence-prevention climate (“perceptions of management concerns, policies, and practices about keeping employees safe from physical violence and verbal abuse”- Spector et al., 2015, p. 326) as an extension of safety climate. Results from one study suggest that clear policies, managerial responses to assault, and prioritizing safety predict violence prevention behaviors (Chang et al., 2012). Another found that violence prevention climate predicted reduced exposure to violence and abuse (Spector et al., 2015). And if preventing violence isn’t incentive enough, another study found that experiencing or witnessing violence can increase turnover intentions, a relationship that is weakened by a violence-prevention climate (Chang et al., 2018). Moreover, being exposed to violence at work makes people more likely to bring a weapon to work (Budd et al., 1996).
So what’s the takeaway? In my humble opinion, we must lobby for increased gun and weapon control, particularly in the workplace. Perhaps OSHA could more strongly regulate guns in the workplace (not a novel idea, nor one that will likely be instituted or survive the current Supreme Court which seems set to limit OSHA’s ability to set regulations)? At the very least, repealing parking lot laws, and making employers liable for workplace violence they did not take adequate steps to prevent could help reduce workplace gun-violence. Secondly, we need to work with organizations to make safety a priority, and that includes safety from gun violence. But, finally, empowering employees to prevent and avoid violence, to value their own safety and wellbeing above customer satisfaction or corporate profit may help minimize these risks.
What do you think?
-Keaton