In previous posts on this blog about getting through the tough times, various byproducts of the massive layoffs occurring almost every day have been discussed: loss of income; loss of house; loss of health insurance; loss of college education; etc. Another byproduct not previously mentioned is loss of life.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times, a laid off worker came back to his former employer’s place of business in Northern California and shot and killed three co-workers, including the CEO and the VP of Operations. Desperation is setting in around the country as all of us are beginning to realize how bad our economic crisis is and how long it’s going to take to fix it. Desperate people sometimes resort to desperate measures — some of which don’t make any sense at all. Workplace violence is something all employers should constantly have on their radars. It’s particularly wise to be vigilant in today’s downward economic spiral.

It’s been reported that since the election on November 4, the sale of guns has increased dramatically. As noted previously on this blog, there’s a trend among state legislatures to make it easier for citizens to carry guns in public places and make it harder for employers to have policies restricting guns in the workplace. If our economic disaster continues and layoffs mushroom even further, we just may have the perfect storm for an outbreak of workplace violence.