Source: Cal/OSHA.
According to OSHA, the building blocks for developing an effective workplace violence prevention program include:
Management commitment and employee participation. Management commitment, including the endorsement and involvement of top management, will provide the motivation and resources necessary for a successful initiative. Including all levels of employees in the process and soliciting employee feedback allows workers to share their broad range of experience and skills and to provide different perspectives and viewpoints to identify workplace violence hazards and mitigate risks.
Employers should consult with their general liability and workers' compensation insurance providers to ensure adequate coverage. Workplace violence or active shooter insurance policies are available to supplement general liability coverage. According to the International Risk Management Institute, workplace violence insurance provides "coverage for the expenses that a company incurs resulting from workplace violence incidents. The policies cover items such as the cost of hiring independent security consultants, public relations experts, death benefits to survivors, and business interruption (BI) expenses."
Experts with the Center for Personal Protection & Safety say that when survivors of workplace shootings committed by co-workers remember the incident, they often recall signs that something was wrong—that there were behaviors that should have caused concern. Generally, any behavior that makes employees uncomfortable or leaves them feeling intimidated is cause for alarm.
These behaviors include being disruptive, aggressive and hostile as well as exhibiting prolonged anger, holding grudges, being hypersensitive to criticism, blaming others, being preoccupied with violence and being sad for a long period of time. Experts say what begins as sadness can lead to depression and suicide. Individuals who are contemplating suicide might think about taking their lives and the lives of others as well.
There are other signs. If someone who usually is friendly and outgoing becomes quiet and disengaged, that could be cause for concern. Sometimes people who experience a loss, a death, a reprimand, financial trouble, a layoff or termination can snap. Be mindful, too, of people who are the victims of stalking or domestic violence. Their personal lives might put their colleagues at risk. See Preventing Workplace Violence Inspired by COVID-19 .
There are circumstances in every workplace that increase the risk of a violent incident, including terminating volatile employees and dealing with workers who show signs of potential violence due to a mental illness.
Terminations
According to psychologist Marc McElhaney, CEO of Critical Response Associates, a consulting firm that helps organizations conduct threat assessments, manage crises and separate high-risk workers from the organization safely, there are four general types of problem employees who might cause trouble if they are fired. However, it is important to note that there's no profile of someone most likely to commit violence—anyone is capable of it.
Mental Illness
There are times when an employee who is suspected or known by an employer to have a mental illness may seem on the verge of violent conduct. When can, or should, an employer act?
Legally, the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and many state laws prohibit discrimination against employees based on an actual or perceived disability, and mental illness is included within the definition of disability. An employer may wish to require a fitness-for-duty exam for a potentially mentally ill employee, but targeting an employee simply due to a real or perceived disability would run afoul of the law, as the ADA generally does not allow medical exams during employment.
However, if such an employee is displaying some of the indicators of potential violence in the checklist above, and the employer has good reason to believe that an employee has a condition that may present a threat of harm to himself or others, requiring an exam would be allowable. The reason must be based on objective facts, not fear or conjecture. The ADA also allows employers to take action if they can show that an employee poses a direct threat to others, defined as "a significant risk to the health or safety of others that cannot be eliminated by a reasonable accommodation." The threat must be based on "an individualized assessment of the [employee's] present ability to safely perform the essential functions of the job" based on a reasonable medical judgment or objective evidence. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, this assessment must include the following factors:
The availability of any reasonable accommodation that would reduce or eliminate the risk of harm must also be considered.
Employers are encouraged to seek legal counsel prior to taking action or requiring medical exams of employees to avoid violating the ADA.
See Managing High-Risk Employees and Creating a Mental Health-Friendly Workplace .
Employee reports of suspicious or threatening behavior are critical to effective violence prevention programs, and employers should ensure that the internal culture supports such reporting. Workers need to have confidence that their reports will be taken seriously, that their identities won't be divulged unnecessarily and that leaders will take appropriate action. If employees lack confidence in their manager to handle a threatening situation or to report such incidents, employers may want to appoint a more senior person or an HR representative to field concerns.
Furthermore, employers might want to set up a hotline where employees can anonymously report concerns. Whatever method they choose, businesses must make sure employees understand that they must respond immediately and diligently if they perceive a threat. It is a good idea during training to review scenarios that employees might want to report and to explain that they should err on the side of over-reporting.
Despite diligent efforts to prevent workplace violence, incidents can and do occur. There is no fail-safe method to eliminate workplace violence entirely, although implementing the prevention strategies recommended by experts and discussed in this toolkit can be very effective. When violence does enter the workplace, employers can be prepared by identifying early the existence of the threat, responding appropriately by involving law enforcement and other professionals, and ensuring that all employees are knowledgeable about effective strategies to reduce the likelihood of injury.
A threat assessment team is an internal committee of employees from different levels and expertise within an organization whose role is to assess the seriousness and likelihood of a threat once it has been recognized. Training for the threat assessment team should include, at a minimum:
Most employers will need to engage external specialists with expertise in risk management and workplace violence prevention and intervention to provide the necessary training.
The primary goal of a threat assessment team is to receive and review nonemergency incident reports and recommend appropriate action. In the event of imminent emergency situations, emergency personnel should be contacted immediately.
The threat assessment team can accomplish four goals when it conducts its interview of an employee who has threatened others or acted inappropriately:
When internal expertise is not available for certain threats, employers will need to consult with an external professional experienced in threat assessments and crisis management.
In the event of an active shooter in the workplace, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides guidance employers can use to ensure that their employees know how to respond and understand when to run, hide or fight .
See Active Shooter – How to Respond .
Suicide threats should always be taken seriously. A human resource professional or the employee's supervisor may be the first person to identify a potentially suicidal employee, so it is critical to recognize the warning signs and encourage at-risk employees to seek help.
If an employee appears to be planning to take action immediately, local emergency authorities should be contacted, since employers usually are not qualified to handle such a situation directly. If there are doubts as to whether the threat is immediate, the HR professional should contact local services, such as an employee assistance program, suicide hotline or hospital. Given the risks of failing to act, it is best to seek professional assistance as soon as possible.
The following are some of the signs you might notice in an employee that may be reason for concern:
Source: The National Institute of Mental Health.
See NIMH Frequently Asked Questions About Suicide .
Domestic violence becomes a workplace issue when the violence follows a victim to work. Employers should avoid dismissing domestic violence as a personal issue as many victims of domestic violence can benefit from the support of their employer. By developing individual and workplace safety plans, employers can prepare for the potential that a domestic situation will escalate in the workplace. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational and Health Safety, such plans may include the following actions:
[Adapted from: Making It Our Business (2014) from the Centre for Research & Education on Violence against Women & Children]
An Employer's Role in Preventing Partner Abuse
When Domestic Violence Comes to Work
What Employers Can Do When Domestic Violence Enters the Workplace .
Employers should take all bomb or arson threats seriously. The Department of Homeland Security provides a Bomb Threat Checklist employers can use to ensure that all employees know how to handle bomb threats and the procedures to follow.
For threats made via phone, the DHS provides the following guidance:
All employees with mail-handling responsibilities should be trained in identifying suspicious packages and mail. See USPS: Handling and Processing Mail Safely .
If a suspicious package or piece of mail is identified, employees should know who to contact internally and when emergency personnel should be contacted. In addition, employees should follow identified procedures, including the following:
Employers may want to post these procedures within the mailroom or provide mail-handling employees with pocket cards or another means to readily access the information.
Preventing Workplace Violence: A Road Map for Healthcare Facilities
Workplace Violence Policy
Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
Weapon-Free Workplace Policy
Available in the SHRM Store:
Give Your Company a Fighting Chance: An HR Guide to Understanding and Preventing Workplace Violence
Workplace Violence: The Early Warning Signs
Example Workplace Violence Prevention Programs and Procedures:
Washington State
State of California
External Resources
There are numerous resources available to employers to assist in preparing a workplace violence prevention program. Federal and state OSHA offices are a good place to start. In addition, NIOSH, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) , and other state and federal offices may offer tools and resources to assist employers.
DOL Workplace Violence Program OSHA Workplace Violence Prevention Programs FBI: Workplace Violence: Issues in Response Workplace Violence Prevention Strategies and Research Needs Example Workplace Violence Handbook Online Workplace Violence Prevention Course for Nurses NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluations DHS Interagency Security Committee Violence in the Federal Workplace Guide
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