Anger in the workplace – is it ever appropriate?

Violence in the workplace really gained prominence 15 years ago with a rash of shootings from pizza parlors to factory floors to office buildings.

At the time, the Workplace Violence Institute released a study that showed more than 110,000 incidents of violence in the workplace resulting in deaths of more than 750 workers.

Something had to be done.

So employers formed workplace intervention groups, hired counselors and employees trained.

We have never been more sensitive, more averse to emotion, or more cautious to reactionary outbursts. We have squeezed emotion out of the workplace. Yet still, a recent survey says that four out of five of us get angry with coworkers for not pulling their weight.

Righteous anger is a tool that Jesus used to clear the temple, but to be honest, rarely are we put in those situations.

So is it ever appropriate to get angry at work? What kinds of situations would it be appropriate?
Anger is an emotion – and a God-given one at that. Is it possible to be angry at work and not sin – and still avoid the workplace-hostility-emotion-police? Tell us what you think here.

“Be angry, but do not sin,”
Ephesians 4:26

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