What To Do When Someone Threatens You at Work

The workplace should be a safe space of professionalism and respect. However, there’s always a chance that you may end up in an unsafe situation due to verbal or physical threats from a colleague or client. While it certainly isn’t your job to prevent these situations, you need to know how to handle them. The wrong reaction can get you into trouble as well, even if your reaction is completely justified. To help you navigate these difficult workplace situations, let’s review what you should do when someone threatens you at work.

Assess the Situation and Make Sure It’s Safe

Your first job is to ensure you’re not in any danger of harm. If you are in danger, you must remove yourself from the area entirely and get to a safe space like your car or a lockable room. If a person is verbally threatening you, write down what they say as soon as you can, especially if this person is a repeat offender. Don’t forget to write down the time and date each time an incident occurs.

Respond Accordingly

Sometimes, there are situations where the best response is no response at all. There’s no shame in walking away from someone who is blatantly disrespecting you, especially if you feel like you might retaliate in a less-than-professional manner. However, you also have the option of simply stating that the behavior they’re exhibiting is inappropriate, hurts your feelings, or that you intend to report it. Ultimately, your best option is to not say anything. That way, they don’t have anything to use against you.

Report the Situation as Soon as Possible

One of the most important things you should do when someone threatens you at work is to follow your job’s complaint procedures and report the situation to HR. The faster you report the incident, the clearer the details of the situation will be in your mind. If an investigation occurs, you want your memory of what happened to be as sharp as possible.

Make Sure To Follow Up

After you report the incident, follow up with HR and determine if they did anything about the incident. A one-time offender might get a slap on the wrist if the incident wasn’t too egregious. Conversely, a serious offense or a repeat offender should receive some sort of punitive action, even if the punishment isn’t job termination.

However, if your place of employment consistently allows incidents like this to occur, this is one of the signs you might be working in a hostile environment. Ultimately, your goal should always be to protect your peace. If you work in an environment that’s hostile or doesn’t feel safe, you should devise a plan of action to leave and find a new place of employment.