Workplace violence is a critical issue for employers to deal with and one of the biggest mistakes that many organizations make is to remain in denial that they either have a problem, or one could develop in their workplace. How often, after a tragic violent incident, do people who are interviewed say something like “I knew he would do something like this” or “he always made me afraid.” Often those who are in the best position to recognize problem behavior from an individual are the employees who engage with them every day. They know something is wrong but keep quiet about their concerns. They expect that someone should be doing something about an issue but don’t know whether to report what they see, or are afraid to. This is not the employee’s fault. It is the fault of an insufficient or nonexistent policy regarding the reporting of aggressive behavior. Not reporting inappropriate aggression can stem from a number of reasons including but not limited to:

• Fear of repercussions from the individual in question
• Not knowing when a behavior is deemed unacceptable and must be reported
• Not knowing to whom or how to report the behavior
• No assurance that there will be a follow up by a supervisor

All of these reasons can be addressed with an effective workplace violence prevention policy that is enforced and is an employment compliance requirement. Workplace violence prevention policies must address inappropriate intimidation through language, gestures, direct and indirect threats, or any other aggressive conduct that instills fear into other employees. Furthermore, employees should be trained to recognize such behavior as unacceptable and require that the conduct be reported to supervisory personnel. Supervisory personnel also have to be trained in how to investigate such reports and follow up with those designated within the company to handle such matters.

Bullying is the simplest, and usually the beginning form of violence in the workplace. If bullies are allowed to intimidate using inappropriate behavior, they will soon get even more brazen in their tactics. If an employee uses intimidation and fear to influence others in the workplace they will often go undetected just because of the nature of their tactics. No one wants to upset them. The conduct continues and the perpetrator assumes that the conduct, since it is being tolerated, is acceptable. If the workplace violence prevention policy does not force action by those who are experiencing the behavior, then the bully becomes empowered, and in their own minds, become even more dangerous.

Denial is even more evident when ongoing conduct is finally reported, or a mildly violent incident occurs, and no action to investigate or correct the behavior is taken. This will assure that the bully will continue the intimidating behavior. Others may even mimic the aggression since it seems to be tolerated. Soon the behavior can take on a more violent form when people begin to fight back. Eventually the workplace becomes a hostile environment. No matter whom the aggressor is, the behavior must be addressed and stopped or consequences, including termination, should result. Don’t transfer the person out to another department hoping they will change their behavior.  Don’t promote them and don’t make excuses – correct the behavior.

Now, if termination does become necessary, that should be done carefully as well. Safe terminations will be another topic to be addressed in the future. For more information regarding workplace violence prevention, safe terminations, bullying prevention, employee training and other related topics check out the Workplace Violence Series on our website at www.imac-training.com

Technorati Tags: Bullying, Online Training, Safe Terminations, Workplace Violence, Workplace Violence Prevention

All too often management feels that removing an overly aggressive problem employee through a sudden termination, even if justified, will solve the potential workplace violence problem. The fact is that even with the best intentions a misconducted termination might be the seed of a more serious problem. A ‘need for revenge’ problem may develop if the termination is done without regard for the individual and their unique situation. Furthermore, you are in less of a position to monitor and control this condition once the problem employee has left your organization. Much depends on the specific circumstances that lead to the decision to terminate but conducting the separation process in a manner that takes away the individual’s desire to seek revenge on you or your organization is the ultimate goal.

In general, once a termination is decided upon because of an individual’s behavior, a full case assessment should be conducted to determine the best way to separate the employee and help them move on in their life. Whether the behavior development was progressive over time, as is usually the case, or a sudden outburst has caused the decision to terminate, options for handling the high risk termination in the most appropriate manner must be considered. Gaining a real understanding of the individual and the reasons for their behavior will arm you with what should be considered during and after the termination process.

There are two conditions that most often exist with potentially high risk terminations. One, the termination is rushed just to remove the employee who has acted out in one aggressive, intolerable incident. Frequently, this is not a sudden, singular outburst but a severe occurrence of a behavior pattern that has existed, but been unreported, for some time. The second is when an underlying aggressive behavior pattern has finally been reported but the individual has been getting away with such behavior for quite some time. Both of these types of cases require time to assess the individual and the developing circumstances to determine the right method, timing and conditions for the termination process. It is beyond the scope of this narrative to completely review the options available and things to consider. However, a careful assessment by a clinical professional working closely with your case assessment team would produce an approach specific to the individual that might include any of the following:

• Interviews between the individual and the clinical psychologist working on the case
• Interviewing coworkers and supervisors
• Seeking other healthcare professionals for the individual
• Seeking substance abuse professionals for assistance
• Family counseling or use of other community services available
• Coordination with security for the termination session planning and follow up security measures
• Close coordination with HR for the termination process
• A well thought out logistical/security plan for the termination interview and exit process
• Follow up interviews with the individual to track progress after separation
• Outplacement services to assist with seeking new employment
• Extended benefits of some type
• Severance packages tied to certain expectations

For a more complete exploration into the coordination of High Risk Terminations check out the training courses available on www.imac-training.com.

Technorati Tags: High Risk Terminations, Workplace Violence

What types of conduct does your written workplace violence prevention policy define and include? If it is only limited to actual physical violence it will fall short of recent standards. Such standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA – see directive CPL 02-01-052 dated 9/8/11) and ASIS/SHRM’s Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention – American National Standard document both define workplace violence with fairly broad language. In order for your policy to provide some hope of prevention, as well as a reasonable defense in court, the following types of activity and conduct must be addressed by the policy:

• Criminal activity within the workspace
• Customer /client / patient confrontations
• Personal partner abuse/ domestic violence spilling into the workspace
• Aggressive co-worker issues such as abusive emails, verbal threats, hostile intimidation, and any other unacceptable behavior that invokes fear in the workspace
• Bullying and Cyber-bullying

Much of this conduct is subject to assessment of ‘degree’, especially bullying, but your policy should give clear examples of what the unacceptable conduct could be. Absent written directives forbidding such behavior, often nobody is willing to recognize it as workplace violence related and therefore it goes unreported. This will not only assure its continuation, but will probably be interpreted as acceptance and lead to more drastic, or aggressive, conduct. If it seems like there might be some spillover into other policies governing employee conduct, like into Harassment Prevention Policy, so be it. You still want to address the unacceptable behavior, see that it is reported, and take action to stop it. If abusive or aggressive conduct is addressed by more than one policy, that’s fine.

To be effective the Workplace Violence Policy has to be understood by the workforce and the only method for achieving that is through training. This training has to be done at the employee level for all. Employees actually have to be considered your first line of reporting responsibility. They should learn the behavioral red flags and the reporting requirements expected. Training also has to be done for the supervisors who are going to be your second line of responsibility to investigate the issues. Then the Case Assessment Team should be given even more specific training as to how the policy is to be applied and enforced.

Workplace courtesy and safety should be a simple issue of applying those universal rules of behavior we all should have learned by the time we were 5 years old. It has however become a complicated issue with social and legal consequences for both the perpetrators and the companies/organizations that fail to control them.

Check out our whole Workplace Violence Prevention series of training courses at www.imac-training.com.

Technorati Tags: Bullying, OSHA, SHRM, Workplace Violence, Workplace Violence Prevention

If you were lucky you didn’t have to worry much about being bullied in school. If you weren’t so lucky, then you remember the effects. The exact same human dynamics can apply in the workplace. The tactics and their effects are not as obvious, but they are very real. Workplace bullying is often the first step in a developing workplace violence issue. One that can lead to lost employees and productivity, law suits and overt violence.

Some people are taught throughout their upbringing to stand up to bullies. This will lead to confrontation eventually and if the repressed tension has built up enough over time the ‘standing up’ will probably be violent. Nobody wins. People are hurt or terminated; sometimes the wrong people are terminated. The workplace becomes an unpleasant place to be. People leave. This all costs money, time, company reputation, and possibly clients. What if the bully is your supervisor?  If aggressive tactics are tolerated as supervisory motivators, they will become the dominant form of leadership. This is an absolute path towards organizational failure. Fear has a rare place in supervision. Holding people accountable can be done in a very civil and subtle manner. There is often a blurred line between accountability and being pressured by a bully who is trying to ‘motivate’. The effects will often be: lower energy levels, no employee initiative, manipulative behavior among employees to avoid the bully, health problems, and there are many others. Does this sound like an environment in which people will work extra hard to get things accomplished? One which will inspire good teamwork?

How can bullies exist in the workplace for so long without being dealt with? Bullying and inappropriate aggression will continue if they are ignored. Ignoring is another form of tolerance. Tolerance is another form of acceptance. This perceived acceptance is why bullying can exist undetected for so long. Bullies can sometimes even be promoted just to get rid of them. Workplace violence prevention programs must address this developmental stage phenomenon. These are questions that plague many workplaces and effect otherwise productive happy workers. Don’t be a victim. Learn more about how to protect your workers from being bullied. Check out the “Workplace Bullying: Identification and Response” course on the IMAC online training site www.imac-training.com

Technorati Tags: Workplace Bullying, Workplace Violence

Whether it’s a workplace violence incident, a product contamination discovery, an internal accusation of harassment or abuse, an industrial accident, or any other critical incident that has the potential to destroy your business or institution, how and when it goes public is critical. That question of how and when it is addressed in public should be your decision and you need to do everything in your power to keep it so. That doesn’t mean hide it until you think you have to say something. That means get out in front of it when you know something has happened. Do the right thing and tell people you are doing the right things. In this day of real time social media, there is very little chance of ‘no one finding out’.

Selection of who will talk to the public via the media, and determining what they will say when, are the most essential elements of the communications plan. Having a designated spokesperson for the organization is recommended but, depending on the severity of the incident, that may not be the only person who must deliver a message. More devastating incidents that have resulted in, or could lead to, the loss of life may require a senior executive spokesperson for some selected messages. The ‘what’ you say needs to be driven by facts and not hearsay. This will of course develop with the progression of the case but don’t, in your zeal to be forthright, report anything that is not verified as correct. The ‘when’ is essentially, as soon as possible after you verify.  State what has happened, what actions are being taken, and that more information will be shared as it is confirmed. The theme of all of your messages should be; concern for life, uncovering any wrongdoing, and doing the right thing to respond and help.

The resultant spin-off security issues could be extensive but not immediately apparent. Have there been mistakes made that could appear malicious? This could lead to threats to individuals or your facilities. Is there the likelihood of special interest groups, or general public, outcry and demonstration? What are the follow through investigative requirements that you should be engaging internally? Should this be a police matter? Analyze the situation from several different perspectives other than the reputation of your business or institution. Could anything that has happened be a warning of a future occurrence? It may be advisable to do a situational threat assessment to explore what could develop and whether you’ve taken adequate security measures to prepare? All of these issues and more will contribute to mitigating further damage, perhaps saving lives, and helping you survive the court of public opinion to which everyone will have to answer.

Check out the related training courses on our online training site www.imac-training.com . Some to explore would be:

• Crisis Communication
• Media Relations in a Crisis
• Kidnap Prevention for Executives
• Travel Security for the Overseas Business Traveler
• Crisis Negotiations – Dealing with Difficult People in Difficult Situations
• Assessing and Responding to a Threat of Violence

Technorati Tags: Communications Plan, Investigations, Threat Assessment, Workplace Violence

On October 5, 2011 ASIS International  and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) issued a joint “ASIS/SHRM Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention, American National Standard” aimed at helping organizations implement policies and practices to more quickly identify threatening behavior and violence affecting the workplace, and to assist in effective incident case management and resolution. This new standard reportedly reflects a consensus from professionals in the fields of security, human resources (HR), mental health, law enforcement and legal. I find it particularly symbolic that these two International associations, both the largest representing practitioners in their respective security and human resource professions, worked so closely on this standard. For years, I have been emphasizing the importance of security and HR departments within organizations working together to recognize and resolve these types of issues as a coordinated effort along with other disciplines such as legal, health services, law enforcement, and external experts on the subject. This standard is well written and robust while being flexible enough to be applied to just about any workplace or work environment.

The document addresses the scope of the problem by defining what types of conduct it has included in its definition of workplace violence. It outlines training suggested for employees, supervisors and the threat management team and encourages the use of external expertise to help conduct both the training and the case assessment process. It also references the subject of my last blog which was the recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) directive CPL 02-01-052 which established for the first time, general policy guidance and procedures for OSHA field offices to apply when conducting inspections in response to workplace violence incidents. The standard outlines problematic behavior patterns and highlights the importance of recognition and reporting of such behavior. From policy development, to implementation of preventive measures, to response options, I found this document to be very useful and one that could be used as a guide for companies just developing WV prevention programs or refining the ones they already have. It is also identified other sources of research information and listings of specific State statutes and executive orders regarding workplace and domestic violence.

For specific workplace violence prevention training and planning options check out the educational programs on our training web-site www.imac-training.com

Technorati Tags: ASIS International, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, SHRM, Society for Human Resource Management, Workplace Violence, Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention, Workplace Violence Training

On September 8, 2011 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued its first written enforcement directive specifically addressing the problem of workplace violence. The directive established general policy guidelines and procedures for field offices to apply when conducting inspections in response to incidents of workplace violence. It identified the most susceptible industries to this kind of hazard, highlighted the steps that should be taken when reviewing incidents and when to initiate an inspection. This gives some documented connection to the general duty clause which is the enforceable regulation section of the OSH Act.

The directive established four categories of workplace violence based upon the aggressor’s relationship to the organization: 1. Criminal intent (violent acts by people who enter the workplace to commit a violent crime) 2. Customer/client/patient who directs acts of violence against employees  3. Co-worker (violence against an employee by a current or former employee, and  4. Personal (violence by a non employee against an employee with whom they have a personal relationship). This is significant in that most people’s perception of what workplace violence could include may not encompass all of these types of incidents. A company, or organization, has to account for the reasonable foreseeability of any of these happening in their workplace because OSHA may regard them as a “recognized hazard.”

The directive also established three different industries which OSHA considers to be at high risk for workplace violence incidents: 1. Health care facilities 2. Social services settings, and 3.Late night retail settings. Then, OSHA further identified numerous risk factors which need to be considered when evaluating the potential for workplace violence:

• Working with unstable or volatile persons in certain healthcare, social service or criminal justice settings
• Working alone or in small numbers
• Working late at night or during early morning hours
• Working in high crime areas
• Guarding valuable property or possessions
• Working in community-based settings, such as community mental health clinics, drug abuse treatment clinics, pharmacies, community –care facilities and long-term care facilities
• Exchanging money in certain financial institutions
• Delivering passengers, goods or services
• Having a mobile workplace such as a taxicab

The other guideline which OSHA established in this directive is the consideration for feasible means available to the employer to abate the hazard. These include the following suggested abatement methods in general:

• Conduct a workplace violence hazard analysis
• Assess any plans for new construction or physical changes to the facility or workplace to eliminate or reduce security hazards
• Provide employees with training on workplace violence
• Implement “Engineering Controls”
• Implement “Administrative Controls”
• Provide management support during emergencies and respond promptly to all complaints
• Develop a written, comprehensive workplace violence prevention program

There are many specific examples given for some of these suggestions as well as additional abatement suggestions for the specific industries listed above as high risk industries.

Though the directive is primarily intended as a tool for the Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHO’s), Area Directors, District Supervisors and other OSHA officials, it also serves to put organizations on notice. Especially those which the directive identifies as high risk, or are subject to high risk factors. They have put some definition into the workplace violence problem from the perspective of enforcing the existing general duty clause which all employers should be aware of. Now the responsibility is clearly on the employer to; do their research; identify potential for problems; explore feasible solutions or prevention measures; and get out of denial.

Employers have always had the potential civil liability hanging over their heads regarding workplace violence incidents. They have always had the social responsibility to reasonably protect their employees. Now they have a Federal compliance standard to address that has some teeth. Enlisting the help of a professional service provider with specialists in this area is going to be critical. IMAC can be your solution. Call me directly at 440.878.5114 if you would like to discuss this issue and your need to prepare your organization and educate your workforce. See www.imac-training.com for the full series of courses on workplace violence prevention.

Technorati Tags: IMAC Training, linkedin, Workplace Violence, Workplace Violence Training

Absolutely it does! First of all, your workplace violence policy should directly address the requirement to report domestic abuse. It should give clear reasons why and perhaps list examples of cases where domestic violence exploded in the workplace. Did you know that 74% of the reported cases of domestic abuse also reported that some of the abuse actually took place in the victim’s work area? Consider that even if an abused spouse or partner secures a restraining order for the home, or if the victim actually moves; where is the next most predictable place to find that victim?

It used to be that companies did not want to get involved with domestic abuse experienced by one of their employees. There was a ‘check your personal problems at the door’ attitude. That demeanor now is unacceptable and flat out dangerous. The violent spouse or partner in a fit of rage seeking the victim at their workplace does not always confine the violence to just the victim. The company or organization has a morale and legal responsibility to be aware of such abusive activity and foresee that it could enter the workplace and become everyone’s problem. The courts will certainly look at it that way.

Turning a blind eye, if the abuse is unreported, is not a defense. If the victim’s co-workers are aware of the abuse, then the organization needs to be aware of it. Therefore, your policy needs to make all of your employees aware of their responsibility to report such a situation for discrete investigation. Besides doing the right thing to help the victim employee, your knowledge of the abuse and subsequent actions taken to protect that individual, will become part of your defense. Options might include counseling or other Employee Assistance Program (EAP) intervention, relocation within the office to a new work space, changing of schedule to avoid nighttime parking, or even relocation to another facility if that would help. Make some accommodation that will either help with the direct problem or reduce the likelihood that the problem will manifest itself at work in a violent manner. OSHA’s general duty clause maintains the expectation that the workplace be made safe from foreseeable dangers and this is one of them.

Please explore our online training courses available at www.imac-training.com for workplace violence prevention courses as well as other security disciplines.

Technorati Tags: linkedin, Workplace Violence, Workplace Violence Training

Is ‘bullying’ considered workplace violence or does there need to be a physical threat involved?  Absolutely it is and it does not have to become physical.  Most professionals in the discipline of workplace violence prevention and response include activity which can be characterized by intimidating or demeaning behavior which creates a hostile working environment. Any conduct that is severe, offensive or intimidating enough to make someone reasonably fear for their safety, or that of others, creates a hostile environment. As a matter of fact, workplace bullying is one of the four most common patterns of potential future violence. Offenders often have used their bullying tactics for so long that they feel untouchable. Those very tactics have caused supervisors and other managers to avoid dealing with the problem, perhaps even transferring or worse yet, promoting the person out of their department. They then become very prone to push the envelope more.

This is no longer just a concern in schools. Workplace supervisors cannot just keep saying “oh, that’s just the way he is” or “we didn’t want to make her angry.” The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) general duty clause states “Employers can be cited for violating the … clause if there is a recognized hazard of workplace violence in their establishments and they do nothing to prevent or abate it.” There are currently 20 state legislatures that are considering statues to address workplace bullying with the most recent being in Massachusetts. Workplaces need to have a policy addressing workplace violence prevention that includes bullying, educating their staff about it, and have definitive guidance about what to do if it is observed. There are productivity, legal, compliance and security costs, and the cost of affected employee morale.

For more complete information on workplace violence prevention check out IMAC’s training web site www.imac-training.com for the recently released online training series addressing this serious problem.

For more details regarding our workplace violence program, specifically, please see our workplace violence training course page.

For more information on IMAC’s strike security, disaster and emergency response or protective services, please visit www.imacservices.com.

Technorati Tags: Disaster and Emergency Response, Protective Services, Strike Security, Workplace Violence, Workplace Violence Training

The recent release of IMAC’s Workplace Violence Training Series at www.imac-training.com is a timely response to what has again become the number one concern of today’s corporate security directors. The tragedies of 9/11 distracted attention from this problem and placed focus on how terrorism would affect the American company/organization. Though concerns regarding terrorism should not be ignored, there is a far greater probability in most American workplaces that there will be a workplace violence incident that will directly, or indirectly, impact the business and the employees.

Workplace violence is an often misunderstood phenomenon. There are many different types of crime and violence that get lumped into the workplace violence data. From robberies, to domestic disputes unfolding in the workplace, to vivid images of fired employees returning on shooting rampages, they are all contained in the sea of statistics on this problem. When this topic is discussed, most people only think of the disgruntled former employee returning to commit an act of vengeance. That is in fact, a small percentage of the problem. Workplace violence includes any conduct or behavior that creates a dangerous or threatening situation for the employees. Therefore, all of the reasonably foreseeable sources of potential violence, both internal and external, must be addressed in a prevention and response strategy.

A workplace violence prevention and response program must contain training, prevention and response strategies to address all of the following components:

• A Proactive Violence/Aggression Free Culture
• Effective Pre-Employment Screening
• A Workplace Violence Policy
• Employee Awareness Programs
• Training Programs for Supervisory Personnel
• A Trained Threat Response Team
• Development of a Threat Response Process
• Physical Security Reviews
• Knowledge and Utilization of Critical Assistance Resources
• Attention to (and Preparation for) Significant Events

Your company has a duty to your employees to provide a safe working environment that is free from violence and aggression, or the threat of them. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for workplace safety demand it; your legal defense and financial health may depend on it; and your employees certainly deserve it.

Technorati Tags: Corporate Security, IMAC Training, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, Workplace Violence, Workplace Violence Training, Workplace Violence Training Series