From daily concerns about health and finances, to growing anxiety about the state of the world, across the country many Americans are on edge—putting us all at greater risk.
According to the latest Stress in America survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, mental health is on the decline in the U.S. due to myriad factors. In just one example, nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed expressed apprehension over personal finances and the nation’s economy, the highest number recorded in six years.
And that’s not the only thing worrying Americans.
• 87% cited the influence of ongoing inflation
• 80% mentioned Russia and the threat of potential nuclear or cyber warfare
• 69% even referenced the possibility of World War III
These statistics are alarming in their own right. Whether imagined or realized, greater stress leads to lower quality of life and can be the catalyst for additional health and wellness issues. But even for those who aren’t feeling these effects, elevated public stress creates a more volatile risk environment.
Stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues can lead to violence, and that violence often manifests in the workplace. To get ahead of these ongoing societal concerns, it’s important that organizations provide Employee Assistance Programs to support personnel dealing with emotional, financial, physical, or other issues, and employee training on how to apply de-escalation techniques should a situation arise.
Whether you’re a customer service rep, field worker, or manager, given today’s risk environment you’re likely to encounter an angry, irate, or unreasonable customer or co-worker who poses a threat to you or your organization. In such scenarios, verbal de-escalation tactics give employees the ability to “talk down” an agitated individual to a more reasonable state helping to diffuse the situation and avoid a potential violent incident.
Even before de-escalation techniques come into play, Situational Awareness skills can help employees recognize the early warning signs of conflict or violence and act decisively before events even begin.
If your organization is involved in retail operations, or has employees that regularly interact in person with customers or the general public, it is in your best interest to prepare for the worst. Amazingly, prevention is often skipped altogether, even though it is the least costly and the simplest way to control a potential crisis. Statistics show that the cost of managing a tragedy can be 100 times the cost of prevention. Companies regularly underestimate the ultimate cost of a crisis by 5-10 times. Furthermore, the OSHA General Duty Clause requires you to provide a safe work environment.
Prevention is often skipped altogether, even though it is the least costly and the simplest way to control a potential crisis. Statistics show that the cost of managing a tragedy can be 100 times the cost of prevention.
Preparedness is Proven
Is your organization ready should a stressed employee or customer become a threat? Protect your people and assets with training on situational awareness, de-escalation, and active shooter preparedness. They’ll learn to identify concerning behavior, utilize verbal de-escalation techniques, practice Run, Hide, Fight scenarios, and more. Contact us today to reduce your risk and protect lives.