Workplace Violence and Employee Well-being among Healthcare Professionals in a Hospital Setting

Abstract Workplace violence is a pivotal issue affecting employee well-being, yet little is known about how different types of violence and their sources uniquely impact employees. However, understanding these distinctions is essential for developing targeted interventions that effectively mitigate harm and support employee well-being. In this study, we examine the relationship between workplace violence and employee well-being by distinguishing between various forms of violence—unwanted sexual attention, intimidation, physical violence, bullying, and discrimination—as well as different perpetrators, including colleagues and patients. Using three waves of survey data collected from hospital employees in the Netherlands ( n = 1,752), we find that being victim of workplace violence is negatively associated with employee well-being in both work and life domains. However, our findings reveal important distinctions: only intimidation and bullying showed a significant negative association with job satisfaction and life satisfaction, with bullying exerting the strongest negative effect. Additionally, workplace violence perpetrated by internal actors (e.g., colleagues) is more detrimental to job satisfaction than violence from external actors (e.g., patients), though this moderation effect does not hold for life satisfaction. Insights from this study provide a better understanding of workplace violence and its varied effects on employee well-being, equipping organisations with the knowledge needed to develop targeted policies, support mechanisms, and prevention strategies that safeguard employees’ mental well-being.