Formal Caregivers' Exposure to Workplace Violence in the Swiss Home-care Setting: A Cross-sectional Study

Workplace violence against formal caregivers is a serious concern, affecting both their well-being and the quality of care. While workplace violence in hospitals is well studied, research on violence in home-care settings remains scarce. This study examines the prevalence, frequency, types, consequences, and risk factors of workplace violence experienced by formal caregivers from care receivers in home-care.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 in a home-care organisation in French-speaking Switzerland using an electronic survey. Formal caregivers were selected using convenience sampling. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and Pearson's chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. The Holm-Bonferroni method was applied for the post-hoc analysis.

Among 200 participants, 42% reported experiencing at least one form of workplace violence in the past year. Following a workplace violence event, nine affected participants took medical leave, with four being absent for more than seven days. Nursing assistants were less likely to experience workplace violence than registered nurses and health specialists. Formal caregivers with 1-4 years of experience were at higher risk of workplace violence compared to those with longer professional experience.

This study is one of the first to examine workplace violence towards formal caregivers in the European home-care context, revealing concerning rates of workplace violence with significant consequences for caregivers, and highlighting the urgent need for greater attention to this phenomenon. Addressing workplace violence in home-care is essential to safeguarding caregiver well-being and preventing workforce shortages.