Over twenty years ago a
disgruntled employee murdered an HR Director. The murder occurred
in an office which I had visited many times over a period of
several years. I personally knew the victim and two other employees,
both of whom in a moment of deliverance escaped the rage of the
unhappy killer.
This very practical and straight-forward
article discusses ways to prevent workplace violence. Robert
Grossman begins with several other tragic examples of recent
violence, including the shooting and killing of several co-workers
by Michael Pearson seven years ago at the Richmond, California
Housing Authority. Just before the murders, Pearson had been
written up by a supervisor and had commented to a co-worker that
he "felt like committing a mass murder."
The article goes on to point out that episodes
of violence occur everyday. Of 18,000 to 20,000 homicides that
take place annually in the US, 677 occurred last year in the
workplace. However, there were about one million victims of non-mortal
incidents. It is frightening to think that this may be even the
tip of the iceberg, as many incidents go unreported. For example,
fast food chains do not share their data.
Grossman points out the necessity for organizations
to establish a zero-tolerance policy for violence. This would
prohibit intimidation, threats of violence, and acts of violence.
The Human Resource Office would decide whether any individual
who violates the zero-tolerance policy should be referred for
counseling, to a substance abuse program, or whether he should
be criminally prosecuted or dismissed. The key is that no expression
of violence should ever occur without an appropriate organizational
response.
Most comprehensive workplace violence plans
have three components:
1. Preventive measures;
2. The incident phase; and,
3. Post incident management.
Preventative measures generally involve
training, particularly training with respect to indicators of
potential violence with respect to individuals and situations.
The incident phase addresses the responsibilities and procedures
when a potentially violent person has been identified. The post
incident management deals with the management of employee stress
and public relations after a violent event. It would focus on
what happens after the police leave, and would include media
experts and spell out the process for responding to questions.
The article is useful in pointing out a
number of indicators of a potentially violent employee.
- A history of violence toward people or
animals;
- A migratory job history;
- Career frustration;
- Emotional problems, including alcohol
or drug abuse;
- Antagonistic relations with others, including
fighting and feelings of persecution;
- Obsession or political zealotry; and,
- Familiarity with weapons.
It is probably important to stress that
not every indicator is enough to generate a refusal to hire someone,
or an organizational response to requiring someone to visit a
counselor. For example, many in our society are familiar with
weapons but have never even been hunting. Many have emotional
problems but have done nothing to suggest they might be violent.
(We might want to help them resolve the emotional problem if
only for their own benefit and the likelihood they will be more
productive employees.) However, many experts agree that a history
of violence itself should be enough to rule out an applicant.
Finally, the article gives suggestions
as to how to deal with those face-to-face encounters where there
is a high risk of violence. David Jones, head of occupational
safety at Ogletree Deakins in Atlanta says:
Have witnesses present when meeting with
a potentially violent employee. Have a means of escape available,
listen more than talk, project calmness, acknowledge the feelings
of the protagonist and avoid physical contact or quick physical
movements. Clearly state the consequences of violent behavior.
The main thing is to have a heightened awareness of the situation.
There is a commonly held belief that workplace
violence is a United States Post Office problem. This article
reminds us that workplace violence can and does occur throughout
our society. And it also reminds us that we can all take reasonable
measures to prevent it in our own establishments.