Navigating Conflict: A Tale of Self-Defense in the Workplace

At work, you often face various obstacles, including workplace conflicts. For instance, you may feel pressured to meet deadlines and experience anxiety. Stress increases tension, leading to quick anger among people, which fuels workplace conflicts. When conflicts arise between customers and employees, the atmosphere can quickly become toxic.

Conflict Between the Customer and Employee

In a newly viral video, a man splashed water on a lady cleaning his car while at the car wash. The lady sprayed the man with water in retaliation using the pressure washer. The reason for the workplace conflict was unknown, as the video didn’t cover it.  

This video has gone viral because it has been the topic of much discussion. Some people defend the woman, claiming that she acted in self-defense. 

So, was it a self-defense?

According to Attorney Ugo Lord, self-defense in workplace conflicts is justified if there is a reasonable fear of bodily harm and the force used to stop the threat is proportional. For example, splashing water on someone could be considered battery, potentially warranting a self-defense response.

However, the problem is that a pressure washer does not constitute proportional force. It can cause severe injury and, in rare extreme cases, necessitate amputation. Therefore, using such force as self-defense in a workplace conflict is only justified when facing a severe bodily threat. Since that was not the case here, the employee is also guilty of battery.

What Is the California Law on Self-Defense

According to the law, self-defense is defined as using force to protect oneself from an attempted injury by another. If justified, self-defense is a defense to several crimes and torts involving force, including murder, assault, and battery.

Self-defense is using force or violence to protect oneself or a third person from imminent harm. In other words, the victim reasonably believes they are in immediate danger of imminent death, bodily injury, or serious bodily harm.

Courts struggle with determining an appropriate level of force or violence when a person defends. In reviews of what such proper levels of violence, courts often consider the following:

• What if the victim of a violent crime provoked the attack?

• Did the perpetrator threaten the use of deadly force or non-deadly force?

• Was the victim obligated to retreat from the violence or threat of imminent force?

• Did the victim have a reasonable belief or reasonable fear that the use of force against them was imminent?

• Did the victim use reasonable force in response to the attack?

• What protection exists for victims who feel, on reasonable grounds, that a threat exists when it does not?

The Law of Workplace Conflict and Self-Defense

In self-defense law, the response must match the level of threat posed. This means a person can use force only to the extent necessary to neutralize the threat. The defenders can use force to protect themselves if the threat involves deadly force.

If the threat involves only minor force and the person claiming self-defense uses force that could cause grievous bodily harm or death, their claim of self-defense will fail. For instance, using deadly force to protect yourself from a simple assault and battery would not be justified. The force must only be sufficient to stop the immediate threat of danger.

Common Causes of Workplace Conflict

Many things cause conflict in workplaces. Personality differences are among the most common causes. This is often due to people’s diverse backgrounds, varying stress management styles, or contrasting perspectives on life and work.

One person may be more open about personal information, while another might feel uncomfortable and hesitant when asked specific questions. In some cases, individuals find themselves incompatible without immediately understanding why. Personality conflicts can arise from misinterpretations of each other’s actions, words, or behavior.

Steps to Take When Having Workplace Conflict

When disagreeing with a supervisor, client/customer, or coworker, you must maintain composure and objectivity. According to evidence from people manager assessments, being impolite or furious has little to no benefits and causes lots of harm. These are the things you can do on how to handle a conflict:

• Honoring and Understanding the Position of Others: Start by doing everything you can to comprehend, value, and relate to their perspective. Also, ask open-ended questions repeatedly until you get a complete understanding.  

• Establish a Common Objective: Determine a point of agreement that benefits the organization, your boss, and yourself based on your hearing. Continue discussing this issue until you find a solution that works for both of you.

• Take permission to share your opinion: After receiving authorization, communicate your viewpoint clearly and persuasively, aligning it with the priorities of your boss, the business, and your shared objectives. Arrange a follow-up meeting once the situation has settled if approval is not granted initially.

Maintain kindness and humility at all times. Acting irrationally can exacerbate issues and, without precautions, may result in dismissal due to workplace conflict. Even if disagreements persist, transparently sharing your ideas and beliefs can foster improved relationships and mutual understanding.