Workplace homicides steady, concentrated in public-facing jobs: NCCI

Workplace homicides remain relatively rare but persistent, with most occurring in public-facing jobs, cash-handling environments, transportation, food service and protective services, according to a May report by the National Council on Compensation Insurance.

NCCI said workplace homicides accounted for 400 to 500 deaths annually across all ownership categories and 350 to 400 deaths annually in private industry from 2011 through 2024. They represented about 8.5% to 9.5% of all workplace fatalities during most of that period, with no sustained increase or decrease despite year-to-year volatility.

The report, part of a series, relies primarily on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data, supplemented by NCCI workers compensation data. NCCI noted that 2023 and 2024 data should be interpreted with caution because of a BLS classification change.

The workers compensation implications are concentrated in a relatively narrow group of job settings, NCCI said. Transportation and material moving, sales, food preparation and serving, management and protective services accounted for the largest shares of workplace homicides in 2023 and 2024. In private industry, transportation and sales each exceeded 20% of workplace homicides.

NCCI’s own workers comp data for accident years 2020 through 2022 showed the highest homicide counts in class codes for police officers and drivers, retail grocery stores, fast-food restaurants, hotels, clerical office employees, other restaurants, retail stores, bars and nightclubs, commercial drivers and property management.

The report said workplace homicide risk is tied less to broad workforce trends than to job conditions such as routine public interaction, cash exposure, working alone, late-night operations and enforcement duties.

Shootings by another person were the dominant means of workplace homicides, accounting for more than 80% of cases in 2023 and 2024, followed by stabbing, cutting or slashing. Most workplace homicides involved criminal assailants with no prior work relationship to the victim, NCCI said.

Men accounted for about 83% of workplace homicide victims, a disparity NCCI said reflects the gender composition of high-risk occupations such as transportation and protective services. Age differences were comparatively modest.

NCCI said employers can reduce risk through written workplace violence prevention policies, worksite risk assessments, improved lighting and surveillance, secured access points, reduced cash exposure, staffing and scheduling controls, employee training and regular review of incident trends.