A survey of Chicago-area hotel workers reveals that 77% of casino workers surveyed have been harassed by a guest. Of those surveyed who said they never or only sometimes reported harassment, 24% said “they thought there is nothing they or anyone can do about it.”
Reasons for not reporting it include:
- Belief that very little can or will be done to address the problem
- Acceptance that this behavior is so commonplace it’s part of the job
- Fear that they will be told it’s their own fault
- Fear the guest will return and retaliate
Moreover, most incidents of harassment aren’t required to be reported by OSHA, since they may not result in physical injury. But that doesn’t mean the victim isn’t injured. Many employees who experienced harassment by a guest felt in was unsafe to return to work afterwards, and PTSD and symptoms of trauma commonly result from harassment.
Targeted workplace violence prevention training and a culture of open communication that supports and encourages reporting are essential to preventing workplace violence, but neither of these solutions can succeed without complete, efficient, and consistent reporting.
You can’t know where your employees need extra support or which intervention will be most effective if you don’t know exactly what’s happening, where it’s happening, and when it’s happening. It’s also difficult to justify additional spending for security needs when you don’t have robust data to back up your requests.
Documenting workplace violence is only the first step, however. A good software solution will not only streamline reporting processes, but it will include easy and customizable report-generation capabilities that help your organization analyze and respond to the state of workplace violence on a regular basis. It can also be used to keep track of who has been trained and when the last training was so you can ensure your staff is always knowledgeable and prepared.
To learn more or request a free demo, contact our team or check out our gaming and hospitality security solutions.
