Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

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Workplace aggression has become an important issue in organizations. In this article, the authors analyze published arbitration decisions involving employees disciplined for fighting, and show how arbitrators apply just-cause standards in such cases. The study provides a profile of the grievants’ level of involvement in the fight and the severity of the incident, which are given as justification by arbitrators as
mitigating circumstances when setting aside or reducing employer-imposed disciplinary penalties. The authors discuss the implications for improving disciplinary guidelines for fight situations in the workplace.

Fighting among co-workers appears to be a relatively widespread problem. One survey estimated that over two million people are physically attacked in the workplace annually and