Five Signs Occupational Violence is Becoming a Problem in Your Aquatic Facility

Occupational violence and aggression rarely begins with a major incident. More often, it develops gradually through repeated behaviours that become normalised over time. Recognising the early warning signs allows Facility Managers to intervene before workplace culture, staff wellbeing and customer experience are affected.

For many aquatic facilities, abusive behaviour does not arrive overnight. It begins with isolated incidents—an angry patron challenging a Lifeguard's decision, a Customer Service Officer being sworn at over an entry policy or a Duty Manager managing a confrontation over supervision requirements.

If these behaviours are accepted as "part of the job", they often become more frequent, staff become less likely to report incidents and workplace culture begins to shift.

The most successful organisations do not wait for a serious incident before taking action. They recognise the early indicators of occupational violence and implement practical strategies to create respectful workplaces before the problem escalates.

Here are five signs that occupational violence and aggression may be becoming a growing issue within your facility.

1. Staff are becoming reluctant to enforce safety rules

One of the earliest indicators is when staff begin avoiding difficult conversations with patrons.This may include hesitating to enforce active supervision policies, overlooking unsafe behaviour, delaying intervention or seeking a manager to address situations they would previously have managed themselves.

This reluctance is rarely about competence. More often, it reflects previous experiences where staff have been subjected to verbal abuse or aggressive behaviour after enforcing facility rules.

When employees begin avoiding conflict, organisations should ask why.

Every aquatic facility relies on staff confidently applying policies that have been developed to protect patrons. If staff no longer feel supported to do this, organisational risk begins to increase.

2. Verbal abuse is becoming "normal"

Comments such as below should never be accepted as workplace culture:

• "People are getting worse."

• "That's just part of working in aquatics."

• "You get used to being yelled at."

When staff begin normalising abusive behaviour, organisations risk accepting occupational violence as an unavoidable part of operations.

No aquatic worker should expect to be abused for carrying out their role.

Leadership plays an important role in reinforcing that occupational violence is neither acceptable nor inevitable.

3. Incidents are no longer being reported

Many facilities have formal incident reporting systems, yet occupational violence remains significantly under-reported.

Common reasons include:

• Staff believing nothing will change.

• Incidents being viewed as too minor.

• Time pressures.

• Lack of management follow-up.

• Uncertainty about what should be reported.

Low reporting does not necessarily indicate a respectful workplace.

In many cases, it simply indicates that staff no longer believe reporting has value.

Encouraging reporting and demonstrating visible follow-up helps organisations better understand emerging trends and identify opportunities for improvement.

4. Managers spend increasing time responding to behavioural issues

Every Facility Manager expects to occasionally respond to customer complaints or behavioural incidents.

However, when managers find themselves regularly responding to aggressive patrons, supporting distressed employees or investigating incidents involving abusive behaviour, it may indicate a broader cultural issue rather than isolated events.This has operational consequences.

Time spent managing preventable behavioural issues is time diverted from workforce development, customer experience, strategic planning and continuous improvement.

Creating respectful workplaces helps reduce this unnecessary operational burden.

5. Staff wellbeing and retention are being affected

Occupational violence rarely exists in isolation.

Over time it contributes to increased stress, reduced morale and declining job satisfaction.

Managers may observe:

• Increased staff turnover.

• Difficulty recruiting experienced employees.

• Greater absenteeism.

• Reduced confidence among newer staff.

• Lower engagement during team meetings.

• Increased requests for managerial support during routine interactions.

These indicators often appear gradually, making them easy to overlook until they begin affecting service delivery and organisational performance.

Addressing occupational violence early helps protect both employee wellbeing and workforce capability.

Taking Action Before Problems Escalate

Recognising these signs is the first step.

The next is taking practical action to establish clear expectations for both staff and patrons.

Leading aquatic facilities are increasingly adopting proactive approaches that combine:

• Visible campaign messaging throughout the facility.

• Leadership commitment to respectful workplaces.

• Clear behavioural expectations for patrons.

• Staff awareness and communication resources.

• Practical training in managing occupational violence.

• Consistent incident reporting and review.

• Continuous improvement based on workplace experience.

Together, these initiatives help create workplaces where staff feel supported, expectations are understood and inappropriate behaviour is addressed consistently.

Supporting Your Facility Through the No Excuse for Abuse Campaign

The No Excuse for Abuse campaign has been developed to help aquatic facilities create safer, more respectful workplaces through consistent industry messaging and practical resources.

Every facility can participate by accessing the free campaign toolkit, which includes marketing materials, digital resources and communication assets designed to promote respectful behaviour.

Facilities looking to embed the campaign across their organisation can also become Program Partners, gaining access to professional signage, toolbox talks, staff resources, leadership materials and training that support long-term cultural change.

Whether your organisation is beginning the conversation or looking to strengthen an existing workplace initiative, the campaign provides practical tools that can be implemented immediately.

Take the First Step

Ask yourself a simple question:

If you asked every member of your team today whether they have experienced abuse or aggression at work, what would they say?

If the answer concerns you, now is the time to act.

Download the No Excuse for Abuse campaign resources and join a growing number of aquatic facilities committed to creating workplaces where respect is expected, staff are supported and there is No Excuse for Abuse.

Visit Campaign Resources