Workplace violence in social services—including active assailant scenarios—represents a serious and unpredictable risk. While these incidents are relatively rare, they often result in severe injuries, fatalities, and significant liability exposure.
Without proper preparation, a single event can lead to workers’ compensation claims, third-party lawsuits, and long-term financial impact. Strong risk management and insurance alignment are critical to protecting staff, clients, and operations.
Key Takeaways
- Workplace violence in social services is a low-frequency but high-severity risk
- Active assailant incidents can trigger workers’ compensation and liability claims
- Standard insurance policies may not fully cover workplace violence events
- Poor preparedness can increase claim severity and insurance costs
- Proactive risk management improves safety and insurability
Workplace Violence Trends and Active Assailant Statistics
The number of active shooter incidents has risen dramatically in recent years. The FBI says there was an increase of 33% between 2019 and 2020 and of 52.5% between 2020 and 2021. Between 2017 and 2021, there was a 96.8% increase. In 2021 alone, 61 distinct active shooter incidents occurred in the U.S. These shootings were responsible for 103 deaths and 140 injuries.
The shootings occurred in a wide range of settings – from government buildings to private residences. Just over half the shootings occurred in commerce locations and 19 in open spaces. Additionally, some shootings occurred in places that provide social services, including two in educational settings, one in a house of worship, and one in a healthcare facility.
Employees were frequent victims and occasional perpetrators. The shooter was an employee in one incident, a former employee in two, and an employee of a third-party vendor in one more. In shootings that occurred in business environments open to pedestrian traffic, 17 employees were killed.
From an insurance perspective, these incidents often result in high-severity claims involving employee injuries, third-party liability, and business interruption, making them a critical risk for social service organizations to address.
Why Workplace Violence Risk Is Higher in Social Services
Social service workers go where they’re needed most. This can include shelters, mental health treatment facilities, and substance abuse centers, where the individuals receiving help may have psychological, emotional, or economic challenges and may be unstable. Unfortunately, active shooter incidents over the years have shown that places like religious organizations and schools are also vulnerable to acts of violence. This increased exposure can lead to elevated workers’ compensation and liability risks if incidents are not properly managed.
Liability and Insurance Exposure from Active Assailant Incidents
After an active shooter incident, organizations may face business disruption, workers’ compensation claims, property damage, and other costs. According to an article published by the American Bar Association, organizations may also face litigation. Historically, shootings have been considered unforeseeable, which has helped to shield organizations from third-party liability. However, as shootings become more frequent, one could argue they are also more foreseeable. As a result, organizations could be sued.
In particular, organizations may take on liability if they ignore warning signs. According to Reuters, an employee is suing Walmart for $50 million in connection to a shooting, claiming the retailer failed to protect its workers from the shooter, who was also an employee. The lawsuit alleges that other employees had warned Walmart management about the shooter’s “bizarre and threatening” behavior. A social services organization could find itself in a similar situation if a shooting were to occur after the organization ignored warning signs. Claims of this nature can significantly impact insurance premiums and may expose gaps in coverage if policies are not properly structured.
Does Your Insurance Cover Active Assailant and Workplace Violence Incidents?
Many organizations assume their general liability and workers’ compensation policies fully cover workplace violence incidents. However, coverage for active assailant events may be limited or excluded depending on policy terms. Specialized workplace violence coverage can help address gaps, including crisis response, counseling, and recovery costs.
Best Practice for Reducing Active Assailant Risk
Active assailant incidents represent a growing workplace violence risk for social service organizations, with the potential to generate severe claims and operational disruption.
- Screen employees and respond appropriately to complaints to reduce the risk of workplace violence and potential liability claims. Background checks may help you avoid hiring workers who pose a risk, but it’s also important to monitor workers and track complaints.
- Train workers on how to respond to an active assailant situation to minimize injuries and reduce workers’ compensation exposure. The FBI’s run, hide, fight strategy is designed to keep individuals safe. Employees also need to know where emergency exits and first aid kits are. DHS has more information on how to respond.
- Make safety a priority by implementing security measures that reduce the likelihood and severity of workplace violence incidents. Your organization may need to hire security guards, install security alarms and cameras, and take other appropriate steps to create a safe environment.
- Take extra precautions as needed to address known threats and reduce preventable liability exposures. If a client or former employee has made threats, your organization may need additional security. After employees with access codes leave the company, change the codes.
- Secure appropriate insurance coverage, as standard policies may not fully address active assailant and workplace violence risks. Your standard general liability insurance policy may not provide adequate coverage against active assailant exposures, but coverage for this risk is available.
Due to the severity of active assailant claims, many standard insurance carriers limit or exclude coverage, making specialized programs increasingly important for social service organizations.
Protect Your Organization from Workplace Violence Risk
Active assailant incidents and workplace violence exposures can lead to severe workers’ compensation claims, liability costs, and long-term operational disruption. Ensuring your organization has the right risk management practices and insurance structure in place is essential.
Tangram Insurance Services specializes in social services and high-risk environments, helping organizations reduce exposure and secure coverage designed for complex risks. Explore our Social Services Insurance Program to learn how we can help protect your staff, clients, and operations.
