As more members of Generation Z (Gen Z) enter the workforce, schools, institutions of higher education, and healthcare facilities must learn how they can best integrate these younger employees into their organizations. One critical topic that must be addressed is workplace violence.
However, a new study of retail workers has found that Gen Z employees are much less likely to report incidents of workplace violence than their older peers, despite these younger workers receiving the most violence prevention training.
Related Article: De-Escalating Angry People: A Critical Safety Skill in Education and Healthcare
According to research from Traliant, 38% of Gen Z retail workers have witnessed workplace violence happening to another employee in the past five years compared to 22% of millennials, 20% of Gen X, and 13% of Baby Boomers.
Despite Gen Z being the most likely to see a violent incident on the job and receive the most training on the issue (86%), nearly half (49%) said they would only report a scenario where they feared for their own or a coworker’s safety if they could report the incident anonymously. Compare that statistic to Baby Boomers’ willingness to report incidents — only 19% said they wouldn’t speak up unless they could do so without being required to reveal their identity.
Although schools, institutions of higher education, and hospitals are very different from retail establishments, Traliant’s findings on Gen Z’s hesitation to report workplace violence is a troubling phenomenon.
Could Anonymous Tip Programs Improve Gen Z’s Workplace Violence Reporting Rates?
The good news is many institutions of higher education, K-12 schools/school districts, and hospitals already have some type of anonymous reporting program. But — do younger employees actually know about them? Is the information about these programs being communicated effectively? Developing robust awareness campaigns that target Gen Z employees could help them overcome their hesitation to report and leverage the tip lines campuses already have in place.
Related Article: School Anonymous Reporting Systems by State
What’s more, well-publicized anonymous reporting programs often help mitigate a much wider range of safety and security issues besides workplace violence, such as mental health concerns. When Pennsylvania launched its Safe2Say Something school anonymous tip app, more than 90% of the reports received were related to mental health problems, specifically suicidal ideation. Drug abuse, theft, gang involvement, self harm, and domestic violence are just some of the other issues that can be reported.
Has your organization identified ways it can encourage Gen Z to report workplace violence? If so, send me an email with your comments at [email protected].
