Workplace violence was rated the most significant security concern for U.S. businesses for the second year in a row, according a survey of Fortune 1000 companies conducted by Pinkertons Inc.
"Top Security Threats and Security Issues Facing Corporate America," released earlier this month, found that while workplace violence was ranked as the top corporate security concern in the 1999 survey, this topic received a higher average importance rating this year.
Quoting figures complied by the Workplace Violence Institute and the U.S. Department of Justice, Pinkertons said workplace violence costs employers $36 billion annually, results in three deaths daily, and causes thousands of injuries each year.
The companies that labeled workplace violence as the top security threat included manufacturers, business-service companies and utility companies, according to the survey.
Despite workplace violence concerns, approximately 20 percent of the Fortune 1000 companies surveyed said that they do not consistently perform criminal-record checks on job applicants.
Forty percent of respondents, however, anticipate increased funding for security programs, while half expect that their safety budgets will be unaffected over the next several years.
The trend signals a management commitment to corporate security which is vital to maintaining the overall health of the organization, the study said.