Workplace Assaults Rose 5.3% Annually Over the Past Decade, With Health Care Bearing the Brunt

Why It Matters

The surge outpaces national crime growth, signaling escalating liability and safety challenges for employers, especially in health‑care settings. Effective risk‑management strategies are now critical to protect workers and control compensation expenses.

Key Takeaways

• Workplace assaults grew 5.3% annually, 62% increase per 10k FTE
• Health care accounted for 18,860 assaults in 2023‑24, ten times retail
• Women represent two‑thirds of victims despite 47% workforce share
• Workers aged 20‑34 face disproportionate assault risk
• Severe claims often involve gunshots or crimes, despite being rare

Pulse Analysis

The latest NCCI analysis reveals a stark upward trajectory in workplace violence that eclipses broader crime trends. While national aggravated assaults rose 13% over the same decade, nonfatal workplace assaults surged 62%, driven largely by health‑care environments where patient‑initiated aggression is common. This divergence underscores a growing exposure gap for employers, demanding heightened attention from risk managers and insurers.

Health‑care and social assistance sectors now shoulder the bulk of assault incidents, with nearly 19,000 cases recorded in 2023‑24. Updated BLS classification codes broadened the definition of assault to include interactions with patients, students and other dependents, inflating the share of assaults attributed to those under a worker’s care to 74%. Demographically, women—who dominate the health‑care workforce—experience assault rates 2.7 times higher than men, while younger employees (20‑34) are over‑represented in incident counts, reflecting the concentration of entry‑level, high‑contact roles.

For organizations, the data translates into actionable risk‑mitigation imperatives. NIOSH and OSHA guidance recommends comprehensive site assessments, engineering controls such as surveillance and secure access, and staffing models that reduce exposure during high‑risk shifts. Training programs focused on de‑escalation and situational awareness can further lower incident severity, especially for rare but costly events like shootings. As assault rates continue to climb, proactive strategies will be essential to safeguard employees, contain workers’‑compensation costs, and meet evolving regulatory expectations.