The realities and risks of workplace violence often spread through news reports of the worst cases. Through news, books, seminars and other means, the concern over the workplace violence issue has been significantly heightened over the past 20 years — and yet violence still happens in our workplaces and schools. What more can be done? What more can be said?
Too often we make a checkmark that we did something about workplace violence and yet we allow or even encourage conditions that could precipitate threatening behavior and violence. What many organizations call a “workplace violence program” is simply a statement against violence and threatening behavior on the job; a ban on weapons on the property; a requirement to report; and possibly some sort of zero-tolerance policy.
Threats and violence in workplaces happen most often where the early warning signs and escalation of such behavior was ignored until it was too late. Merely putting out a policy does not mean people will recognize and report their concerns, supervisors will do the right thing, or anything will happen to mitigate and properly respond to incidents.
The Basics
Before moving on to discuss concrete prevention and response steps, first understand a few basic concepts of workplace violence. Violence tends to escalate from early indications of intimidating and unstable behavior and that — with the exception of violence caused by an unknown outsider, such as a robbery — there may have been early warning signs that were possibly ignored and unreported until it was too late. Any person in the workplace could be a victim or perpetrator of violence, including employees, ex-employees, contracted employees, visitors, customers, patients, family members, spouses and ex-spouses, and girl/boyfriends. And violence may flare during or after a stress-raising incident, often called a triggering or precipitating event, such as a termination, lay-off or discipline.
Workplace Violence Prevention
Respect, civility and preserving dignity: People learn by example, and managers and supervisors who treat their people with disrespect or disregard should not be surprised when their people treat each other with contempt or neglect. Too often I have found workplaces and even schools where an atmosphere of intimidation and mutual resentment has been created and fostered, often resulting in bullying, threats, potentially hazardous horseplay and violence. It may seem obvious, but the best way to manage a civil workplace is to always lead with the Golden Rule in mind — treat others as you would want to be treated, especially if you were the one being laid off or disciplined.
Keep in mind that disability ( ADA ) and privacy issues may come into play when dealing with threatening and intimidating behavior. While we should never take an action against a person based on their mental illness — as with any disciplinary situation we should be dealing with a person's actual and documented words and actions as they are violations of established policies rather than on whom or what they are.
Above all, in dealing with people in your workplace — especially with those who are most difficult and problematic — take care to preserve their dignity. For some, if they perceive that they have lost their dignity, they may perceive they have nothing left to lose. Such is the birth of many violent episodes.
Policies and procedures: There should be a clear policy in place that outlines the organization's perspective on threatening or violent behavior; each person's and manager's responsibility under the policy (including how and why to report); training requirements for employees and supervisors/managers; counseling options; a statement of non-retaliation for honest reporting; the establishment and charge of a Threat Management Team and process; and the inclusion of workplace violence in the emergency and crisis planning and management processes. The workplace violence policy may, in many ways, parallel a strong sexual harassment program.
Training and communications: People may not instinctively recognize the early indicators of potential violence, and they certainly will not raise their concerns unless they have been made to understand their roles and duties under the program and why it is their responsibility to raise concerns to appropriate channels. We do not want to be perceived as “squealers” or “snitches,” and will likely rationalize and justify away another person's threatening or unstable behavior unless trained to do otherwise. Employees who deal directly with the public might also be trained in handling and de-escalating aggressive and confrontational behavior and on safe robbery response. Likewise, managers and supervisors should be trained on how to handle an issue raised to them, planning for the safe handling of the potential triggering event (e.g. discipline, termination, lay-off), repercussions for retaliation, and leading the civil workplace. It is especially dangerous, and all too common, for supervisors and managers to brush off concerns that are raised to them or even to penalize the person reporting.
Training should include the building of security awareness among all employees. Security awareness is the most powerful, most neglected and least costly of all security countermeasures. It essentially builds a level of involvement, ownership and protectiveness among all people in the workplace. Many organizations have a strong level of safety awareness, and that can often be leveraged to build a higher degree of security awareness. Your people shouldn't assume that security is the responsibility only of the security officers and security staff.
Security measures: Traditional physical and procedural security measures, including access control, visitor management, video surveillance, intrusion and duress alarm systems, lighting, fencing, background screening, worn identification, security awareness, security officers, incident reporting and tracking, etc. have a role in preventing violence — especially that caused by the “outsider.” Your security program, and all of its components, should be a synergistic and strategically planned system designed to address your particular risks and vulnerabilities. A security and workplace violence assessment should be periodically conducted to ensure your program meets your changing needs, culture and risks.
Alternate lines of communication: There are times when the existing channels of internal communications break down or are not trusted. For example, sometimes people might be afraid to raise an issue to a direct supervisor or manager or, in fact, the supervisor or manager might be the problem. A hotline or ombudsman can be a useful tool to safely and confidentially elicit allegations of threats or violence, as well as possible sexual harassment, theft or fraud, environmental issues, etc.
Planning for precipitating or triggering events: Too often, organizations find themselves facing a difficult or hostile, termination or discipline, and they are forced to react in the moment. It is possible that the emotional handling of an already emotional situation can be the tripping point that sets off the escalation of violence. Such situations, especially when there are concerns that a discipline or termination might be problematic, should be pre-planned to be as safe as possible for everyone involved and, of course, to preserve the dignity of all involved.
Workplace Violence Response and Mitigation
I often find that organization's emergency and crisis plans focus more on the accidental sorts of incidents such as natural disasters, fires, medical emergencies, and spills and releases; and focus less on the more purposeful sorts of incidents such as workplace violence, sabotage, contamination, bomb threats and terrorism. There should be a process that can properly and promptly mitigate and respond to threats and violence. The steps in such a process should include:
Threat management and assessment: A Threat Management Team should be created — typically made up of representatives of Human Resources, Security, Safety, Legal, Counseling and a manager from the affected facility or department. This team would lead the investigation of the allegations and together determine the steps to take to keep the situation from escalating further and to preserve the safety of all involved. A policy and procedure which outlines the threat assessment process, the composition and duties of the Threat Management Team, along with a listing of actions that could be taken to mitigate or respond to the situation, should be established.
Emergency and duress processes: Schools have been ahead of businesses in the planning for how to handle the attacker or intruder. More businesses are now considering duress procedures including identifying safe places, as well as lockdown, shelter-in-place and evacuation procedures. No two situations are the same, so there must be room to make a judgment as to the best steps to take.
Crisis management: Ultimately, the worst case might happen and the crisis management plan should be ready and able to address it, including assessment, containment, control, documentation, incident management, communicating with the media and other stakeholders and audiences, assisting and counseling persons and families involved, preventing recurrence, and, in the end, assuring the long-term welfare of the organization's people, reputation and very survival.
While it is not possible to prevent every incident of threatening or violent behavior, there are reasonable and cost effective steps that can minimize the risks and reduce the liabilities. Everyone has the right to work in a safe workplace, and everyone has the duty to do their part toward keeping it safe and secure.
Richard D. Sem, president of Sem Security Management, a security consulting firm based in Wisconsin, has more than 37 years security and workplace violence management experience. He served as director of security and crisis management for Waste Management, and was vice president of Pinkerton/Securitas. He has been a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) since 1979, is a Certified Security Consultant (CSC), was president of the International Security Management Association (ISMA), and has had several articles published on security and workplace violence.
