The Workplace Is the Most Dangerous Place for WomenAnd That Says Everything About Our Society

Someone told me today that the #1 cause of workplace deaths for men is accidents, falls, machinery failures, electrocution. But for women? It’s homicide, often at the hands of a current or former partner.

Let that sink in.

These staggering statistics say a lot, not just about the workplace, but about our culture, our communities, and men.

Men are most likely to die at work because of the job they do. Women are most likely to die at work because of the men in their lives.

That is not just an alarming fact, it’s a devastating reflection of a much deeper issue.

Men don’t just wake up one day and kill women at work. It starts long before that.

It starts with how we raise boys. It starts with how we define masculinity. It starts with what we teach men about anger, control, and relationships.

We live in a society where men are conditioned to see power and dominance as strength while vulnerability is seen as weakness. From a young age, boys are often taught to suppress emotions, to resolve conflicts through aggression, and to see control as part of love. They grow up surrounded by messages that normalize possessiveness, violence, and entitlement over women’s time, bodies, and choices.

And when we don’t challenge this, when we allow harmful behaviors to go unchecked, when we let “locker room talk” and “boys will be boys” excuses flourish, it doesn’t stay in private spaces. It spills into the workplace, into relationships, into communities, and into deadly statistics like this one.

The Workplace Must Be More Than a Job, It Must Be a Safe Space

Workplaces have an obligation to be more than just places of productivity. They must be safe spaces, not just physically, but emotionally and psychologically. Every industry, from corporate to construction, healthcare to hospitality, can and must be a place where nonviolence, conflict resolution, and equity are taught and modeled.

This means:

• Creating cultures where aggression, harassment, and abuse are not tolerated, no matter the rank or role.
• Offering conflict resolution training so employees learn to navigate disagreements with respect and dignity.
• Implementing equitable policies that uplift marginalized voices and create truly safe work environments.
• Ensuring that leadership sets the tone, because culture is built from the top down.

The 3 Critical Questions Every Workplace Should Ask

Too often, we assume that people leave their personal struggles at the door. But the truth is, no one can fully compartmentalize trauma, stress, or abuse. One of the most radical things a workplace can do is be willing to have the difficult and uncomfortable conversations that truly support their employees.

I believe in asking three critical questions:

1. Are you safe?
2. How are you, really?
3. How can I help?

These aren’t just check-ins. They are lifelines.

When an employer, manager, or coworker asks these questions with intention, it creates a culture where people know they matter beyond their productivity. It acknowledges that violence, mental health struggles, and personal hardships are real and that the workplace can be a place of support, not silence.

If We Want to Change These Statistics, We Have to Start Early

If we want to create workplaces where women do not fear for their lives, we have to start with how we raise boys and engage men.

We must teach boys that:

• Violence is not the answer.
• Conflict can be resolved with words, not fists.
• Love is not about control.
• Anger is not the only acceptable emotion.
• Women are not possessions.

Men, we have a responsibility to be part of the solution. It’s not enough to say, “I would never.” We have to be the ones to challenge harmful narratives, to teach our sons and younger men a different way, to call out problematic behavior, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Compassion and Accountability Must Go Hand in Hand

Compassion without accountability is empty. Accountability without compassion is cruelty. We need both.

• We need leaders who are willing to ask hard questions and take action.
• We need workplaces that don’t just push diversity and inclusion as buzzwords but embed them into daily practices.
• We need companies that create environments where people feel safe—not just physically, but emotionally and psychologically.

Because at the end of the day, work isn’t just about what we produce—it’s about who we are while we’re doing it.

The workplace can and must be part of the solution. It can be a place where violence is unlearned, equity is practiced, and people are empowered to bring their full selves to the table.

Let’s make that the standard, not the exception.

#SafeWorkplaces #CompassionAndAccountability #EquityAtWork #Nonviolence #LeadershipMatters #EndWorkplaceViolence #MenHoldMenAccountable