Incidents of workplace violence are reported with such frequency that it becomes difficult to recall them individually.
What used to be considered a haven, the workplace, is no longer safe. For whatever reasons social, cultural, psychological, emotional, financial violence has come to the workplace in an epidemic.
The media focus on extreme, lethal incidents, but the reality is that other types of violence are far more common: hostility, intimidation, harassment and other damaging behavior.
Violence is scalable; it can escalate from a simple war of words or attitudes, to a range of emotional, physical and psychological brutalization, to deadly confrontation.
While men account for 82 percent of all homicide victims, homicide is the leading killer of women in the workplace 40 percent of women who die at work are homicide victims. And homicides are only part of the story. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21,300 workers were injured in non-fatal assaults in the workplace in 1993. Women comprised 56 percent of the victims.
A Department of Justice survey has reported that in one five-year period, 1 million people were assaulted at work each year. Another report revealed that workplace attacks on 500,000 people in one year led to an estimated 1.8 million lost workdays and more than $55 million in lost wages.
Causes commonly associated with workplace violence include layoffs, mergers and reorganizations, substance abuse, and emotional disturbances stemming from conflict with supervisors, policy changes and negative performance evaluations. Added to these are negative relationships caused by differing opinions, attitudes, personalities and moral/social/ethical codes.
Companies must support worker confraternity both for humanistic reasons and for the well-being of the business. Legal aspects extend well beyond the institutional walls, because in violent incidents there are always multiple victims: families, co-workers, friends.
Companies can be sued for negligent hiring and retention. One imprudent company provided a positive reference for an employee it had fired for violent behavior. When the individual later murdered a fellow worker, the new employer was sued and it, in turn, sued the first employer for failure to disclose the record of violence.
Smart companies protect themselves in part by conducting background checks, which may extend to personality profiles and criminal history checks. Wise managers will also formulate a plan so they know what to do before someone shows up with a gun. A team should be organized to deal with incidents: Who calls the police? An ambulance? What exits will be sealed?
A recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration document discusses the violence issue as it relates to health care institutions quite comprehensively enough so that it could well serve as a pattern for general use.
Among its key observations: Management commitment and employee involvement are complementary and essential elements of an effective safety and health program; provisions of the National Labor Relations Act must be known and observed; responsibility and authority must be assigned; and accountability must be demanded.
Management must insist on employee compliance with the violence prevention program and other safety and security measures. Teams and committees for dealing with potential problems should be formed and convened regularly, with education programs established to cover recognition of escalating agitation, assaultive behavior or criminal intent.
OSHA recommends a written program with a clear start-up date, which is communicated to all employees. At the minimum, it should comprise the following:
– Creation and dissemination of a policy of zero-tolerance for violence, verbal and non-verbal threats and related actions.
– Assurance that no reprisals are taken against employees reporting or experiencing workplace violence.
– Encouragement of employees to report incidents promptly and to suggest ways to reduce or eliminate risks.
– Promulgation of a plan for maintaining security, with law enforcement representatives involved when possible.
– Assignment of responsibility and authority for the program, accompanied by training and skills development.
– Management commitment to an environment that emphasizes employee safety and health as highly as serving customers.
– Company-wide briefing of employees on such issues as personal safety, support for affected employees and recovery.
A worksite analysis should identify existing or potential hazards, with a task force or coordinator assigned to assess vulnerability and determine appropriate preventative actions.
One 10-point program offers this advice: 1.) Know your legal obligations and liabilities; 2.) Know how to hire and screen employees; 3.) Implement physical security; 4.) Know the warning signs; 5.) Draft an employee handbook; 6.) Implement a reporting system; 7.) Establish employee assistance programs; 8.) Utilize incident response teams; 9.) Know how to deliver bad news; 10.) Know when to call the police.
As is usually the case, a team solution is probably best. Human resources can monitor hiring, assuring that appropriate pre-employment background checking, psychological testing and other procedures are followed. The legal department can direct its attention toward assuring that the employer does not place itself in jeopardy under the myriad employment dicta and discharge procedures that our almost paralyzingly protective government has imposed.
Terry M. Segraves is vice president and co-founder of Shaw, Segraves & Associates, a full-service investigative consultation agency headquartered in Canoga Park.
