If you’ve ever been shouted at, threatened, or physically assaulted while at work, you’re not alone — and it is not something you just have to put up with.

UNISON Scotland’s latest Violence at Work report found that public service workers faced over 75,000 incidents of violence and aggression in a single year — that’s an average of 206 every single day. Those numbers are rising. But behind every statistic is a person who went to work to do their job and came away feeling unsafe.

This is a serious issue, and if you are worried about your safety at work, you have a right to be heard and a right to be protected.

What counts as violence at work?

Violence at work isn’t only physical assault. It includes:

• Verbal abuse and shouting
• Threats and intimidation
• Aggressive behaviour from members of the public, service users, or colleagues
• Racial or sexual harassment
• Physical attacks

Too often, these experiences are dismissed as “just part of the job.” They are not. Verbal abuse, threats, and assault are all forms of workplace violence, and your employer has a legal duty to protect you from them.

What your employer should be doing

Every employer has a legal duty of care to protect their staff from harm — and that includes violence. That means they should be:

• Carrying out risk assessments that account for the risk of violence, not just physical hazards
• Providing training in conflict management and de-escalation
• Having a clear violence and aggression policy that all staff can access
• Ensuring there are proper reporting and investigation procedures for incidents
• Offering support — including access to counselling — for staff who experience violence
• Taking incidents seriously and acting to prevent them from happening again

UNISON has a Violence at Work Charter that sets out ten standards employers should meet to keep their staff safe. If your employer hasn’t signed up, that’s something your UNISON representative can raise on your behalf.

What you can do

If you are experiencing or witnessing violence at work, there are practical steps you can take:

1. Report every incident — even the ones that seem minor. A pattern of smaller incidents can build a picture of a bigger problem, and without reports on file, it’s harder to demand change.
2. Write down what happened — note the date, time, location, what was said or done, and who was involved. This is your evidence.
3. Talk to your colleagues — if others are experiencing the same thing, there is strength in numbers.
4. Contact your UNISON representative.

You don’t have to face this alone

This is the most important message: if you are concerned about violence at work, contact your UNISON representative.

Your rep can:

• Help you understand your rights and what your employer should be doing
• Support you in raising concerns with management
• Push for your employer to adopt the UNISON Violence at Work Charter
• Advise on reporting incidents and accessing support
• Work with other members to campaign for safer workplaces

Violence at work is a health and safety issue. It is taken seriously in law, and UNISON takes it seriously in practice. No one should go to work afraid of being abused or attacked.

If you’re worried about your safety at work, get in touch with your UNISON representative today. They are there to support you, and they will.

Need help? Contact your local UNISON branch rep, or call UNISON direct on 0800 0 857 857.