The Connection Magazine The Connection Magazine Spring 2017 | Page 25

WORKPL ACE VIOLENCE
Teri Bowman
Teri Bowman is director of Human Resources
EMPLOYER FOCUS:
Addressing The Realities Of
Violence In The Workplace
THE FULL definition of workplace
violence might surprise you.
Workplace violence is considered any
act or threat of physical or psychological
violence, harassment, intimidation or
bullying as well as other threatening,
disruptive behavior or language that
occurs at work.
What we hear most about are incidents
involving homicides at work. According
to the National Center for Victims of
Crime, workplace homicides make up 9
percent of fatal injuries at work based on
the latest data (2014). Overall levels are
on the decline, with 403 total fatalities
nationwide in 2014, down from 458 in
2011 and 1,068 in 1993. Other causes of
fatal injuries at the workplace included
the following: transportation incidents
(40 percent); falls, slips, and trips (17
percent); contact with objects/equipment
(15 percent); toxic exposures (8 percent);
other violence/injury by animals (7
percent); and fire/explosions (3 percent).
The most common form of workplace
violence is simple assault, which accounts
for the vast majority of all nonfatal violent
crimes. What can employers do to help
protect their employees from any act of
workplace violence? Consider these four
steps:
1. Assess Your Work Site and Issue A
Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
The document should have a policy
statement and provide the scope of
the policy. It should also outline the
responsibility of managers and employees.
Your organization should assign a threat-
and-assessment team to be responsible
for carrying out the procedures of the
SPRING 2017
workplace violence prevention policy. The
policy should also detail what constitutes
prohibited conduct and lay out a reporting
procedure in the unlikely event an incident
should occur. As with other types of
work-related incidents, investigation and
enforcement must be timely and thorough.
2. Train Your Employees And
Management Team
Once you have a written policy, begin
training right away. Your employees
should be aware of the warning signs that
sometimes occur prior to an incident and
feel comfortable reporting their concerns
to management. Here is a list of some
of the warning signs: unusual behavior,
constantly disagreeing with others,
excessive profanity, irritability and
outward anxiety, disregard for company
policies, comments about harming
others, depression, fighting, or suicidal
threats. Employees should be instructed
to report any changes in their co-workers
immediately to their supervisor, manager,
human resources representative, or any
member of the threat assessment team.
3. Re-evaluate The Interview Process
All employers have a legal obligation
to provide a workplace that is free from
violence. This starts before you hire a
new employee. Make sure you are asking
the right questions during the interview
process. It is important that you ask about
the core technical skills, knowledge, and
experiences of the candidates. Once
you feel you have selected the best
candidate for the position, and upon an
offer of employment, conduct a thorough
and complete background investigation
and drug screening. If there are any
at A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies. Teri
has ten years of HR experience including
recruitment, employee relations, training,
compensation, benefit administration, workers
compensation, and areas of compliance.
warning signs, then the employer has
the opportunity to rescind the job offer.
Although nothing is foolproof, it will help
prevent you from hiring someone who may
have a violent past.
4. Visitor Protocols
It is critical to have a procedure for
guests and visitors who may arrive
at your place of business. All access
points of your office should be locked
at all times. All employees should be
assigned an access key in order to enter
the building. Employees should know to
never let anyone into the building, even if
the person appears familiar. Guests and
visitors should be directed to check in
with the receptionist, and no one should
be allowed into the building without first
confirming the visit with the appropriate
employee. Only after the receptionist
has confirmed the appointment should
the visitor be allowed in. Once confirmed,
the individual should sign a guest book,
be given a visitor’s pass, and wait to
be escorted through the building by
the appropriate employee. When the
meeting has concluded, the guest should
be escorted back to the reception area,
asked to turn in the visitor’s pass, and sign
out before being escorted to the exit.
In today’s world we can never be too
cautious. Encourage your employees to be
aware of their surroundings and to report
any suspicious behavior. We have all heard
these old adages: “The life you save may
very well be your own” and “An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure.” They
have never been truer than today as we
continue to navigate our way through the
reality and threat of workplace violence.
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