Violence In The Workplace

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Violence In The Workplace
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Violence In The Workplace Objectives

• At the end of this workshop you will
• Know to what extent violence in the workplace
  exists why it is an issue
• Understand your role in preventing violence in
  the workplace
• Know how to identify what potential violence can
  look like

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Violence In The Workplace Objectives

• At the end of this workshop you will
• Know the policies and procedures in place to
  address the issues of violence in the workplace
• Know what to do when violence in the workplace
  occurs
• Know what preventative measures are in place to
  reduce the potential of violence

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What Is Workplace Violence?

• Any physical assault, threatening behavior, or
  verbal abuse occurring in the workplace
• The workplace may be any location either
  permanent or temporary where an employee performs
  any work-related duty

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Types of Serious Injuries and Deaths from
Workplace Violence

• Physical assaults
• Beatings/stabbings
• Shootings
• Rapes
• Attempting to cause physical harm, i.e..,
  striking, pushing, or other aggressive acts
  against another person

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Types of Workplace Violence Incidents

• Based upon the relationship between the
  assailant/worker/workplace, violent incidents can
  be divided into categories
• Violence by strangers
• Violence by customers/clients/patients
• Violence by co-workers
• Violence by personal relationship

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Types of Workplace Violence Incidence (Continued)
Homicides Leading cause of job-related deaths
for women, second leading cause for men Claimed
the lives of 1,071 workers in 1994 approximately
3 workers died each day under violent
circumstances Nonfatal Assaults Between
1987-1992, one million persons were annually
assaulted at work
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Establishments Affected by Workplace Violence

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
  highest number of homicides occur in night retail
  establishments
• The highest number of nonfatal assaults occur in
  the health care and social service sectors

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Establishments Affected by Workplace Violence

• Workers in retail establishments, such as
  convenience stores, retail groceries and
  restaurants account for one half of all homicides
• Work-related homicide rate for gas station
  attendants and sales counter clerks exceeded by
  10 times the national average
• Workers at greatest risk are those who work
  alone, late at night, and are known to handle cash

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Economic Impact ofWorkplace Violence

• According to the Department of Justice, assaults
  at work cost 500,000 employees 1,175,100 lost
  work days each year
• Annual cost of lost wages totals more than 55
  million
• When the cost of productivity, legal expenses,
  property damage, diminished public image,
  increased security and other factors are
  included, the cost is measured in billions of
  dollars

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Costs to the Organization

• Lost business and lower productivity
• Psychological trauma to individuals
• Property damage due to retaliation and sabotage
• Increased security costs
• Increased litigation expenses due to expressed
  duties and liabilities as stated by law

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Costs to the Organization

• Laws are currently being enacted that hold
  employers liable for negligence
• Litigation in the aftermath of violence is a very
  real threat to the viability of an organization
  financially
• Violence generally follows specific behavioral
  patterns easily observed
• Prevention techniques can be useful based upon
  reasonable predictability

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Risk Factors

• Most violent acts are predictable when you take
  the following factors into account
• Environmental factors
• Work practices
• Perpetrator profiles
• Victim profiles

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Environmental Factors

• That predict violence include
• A violent society
• A violence prone neighborhood
• The large number of weapons in circulation
• Early release of mental patients
• Hospitalization instead of incarceration of
  criminals

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Work Practices

• Including
• Low staffing levels
• Working alone
• Working with money
• Long waits for services by
• customers clients or patients
• Lack of available services

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Perpetrator Profiles

• People with a history of violent behavior are
  also prone to violent acts.
• Homeless mentally ill
• Drug addicts
• Gang Members

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Perpetrator Profiles

• Generally the workplace killer is
• A male over the age of 35 with significant tenure
  on the job
• He is generally a socially isolated loner who is
  chronically disgruntled and has a particular
  disdain for authority
• He has an unwarranted sense of entitlement to
  upward mobility

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Perpetrator Profiles

• Generally the workplace killer
• Externalizes blame and never "owns up" or accepts
  any responsibility for his own wrong-doings
• Views change with fear and suspicion and even
  paranoia

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Victim Profiles

• Include
• Employees who work in homes or in the community
• People who handle money
• Workers in institutions for the mentally ill or
  retarded who are not trained in violence
  avoidance or self defense

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Victim Profiles

• Include
• Persons who provide care, advice, information
  such as health care, mental health emergency
  room workers
• People who deal with complaints, such as social
  service, child welfare and unemployment workers
• Workers who have the power to act against the
  public, inspect premises and enforce laws

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Victim Profiles

• Include
• People working alone, such as child welfare
  workers, custodians, public park workers, parking
  meter attendants, and housing inspectors
• People working late hours such as retail clerks
  (convenience stores, liquor stores all night
  gas stations

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Behaviors Which May Indicate Risk

• Excessive absenteeism, chronically late
• Memory or concentration problems
• Excessive demands on supervisors time
• Grooming habits deteriorate
• On-going depression isolation
• Need to blame others
• Paranoid or irrational ideas

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Behaviors Which MayIndicate Risk

• An obsessive focus or a particular grudge
• Out of the ordinary behaviors
• Abuse of alcohol and/or drugs
• Obscene phone calls
• Intimidating presence
• Harassment of any nature

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Acts of Aggression Which May Indicate Risk

• Disorderly conduct, pushing or throwing objects,
  punching walls, or slamming doors
• Verbal threats to inflict bodily harm including
  vague or overt threats
• Fascination with guns or other weapons,
  demonstrated by discussions or bringing weapons
  to workplace

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Early Intervention is the Key to Prevention
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Intervention Process

• Identify troubled employee
• Analyze employee behavior
• Does it vary from usual behaviors?
• Investigate
• Document employees performance
• Create plan

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Intervention Process

• Meet with employee in private
• Be compassionate understanding
• Convey their performance is unacceptable
• Offer help
• Ask employee to see EAP
• employee needs to change behaviors or there will
  be consequences
• Follow up by monitoring performance

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Handling Troubled Employees

• Assess the situation
• Always leave as many avenues of exit or escape
  open for a person who is potentially violent
• Never resist someone holding a weapon
• Clear away by-standers
• Be patient and reassuring
• Be non-judgmental
• Speak in calm, soothing voice

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Handling Troubled Employees

• Body language should be alert, calm and
  non-threatening
• Keep arms low
• Give them space, at least 5 feet
• Ask whats troubling them, listen
• Stay alert to changes
• Take control slowly
• Never let your guard down

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Handling Troubled Employees

• Empathize and express your concern
• Get beyond the anger
• Be patient
• Negotiate concretely
• Check your understanding by restating what the
  other person said

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Things Not To Do

• Donts
• Dont become defensive
• Dont use sarcasm, teasing or jokes about the
  situation
• Dont make promises
• Dont over-react to bizarre or angry behavior

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Things Not To Do

• Donts
• Dont blame or personalize
• Dont moralize or judge
• Dont argue, become punitive or make threats
• Dont lose patience or hope

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Employee Involvement

• Should include the following
• Understanding and complying with the workplace
  violence program and other safety and security
  measures
• Participating in an employee complaint or
  suggestion procedure covering safety and security
  concerns
• Prompt and accurate reporting of violent incidents