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Workplace Violence: What To Know What To Do

Workplace Violence: What To Know What To Do. William McPeck Director Employee Health and Safety Maine State Government. The Perspective I Bring. Social worker with EAP specialization Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office Investigated fires, explosions and arsons Trained in criminal profiling

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Workplace Violence: What To Know What To Do

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  1. Workplace Violence:What To KnowWhat To Do William McPeck Director Employee Health and Safety Maine State Government

  2. The Perspective I Bring • Social worker with EAP specialization • Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office • Investigated fires, explosions and arsons • Trained in criminal profiling • Trained in threat assessment • Instructor in non-violent crisis intervention

  3. What Is Workplace Violence? • Workplace violence • Any act of physical violence – overt aggression • Homicide, physical and sexual assault • Workplace aggression – emotional toll • Expressions of hostility • Gestures, facial expressions and verbal assaults • Threats of physical violence • Harassment, intimidation, bullying • Ostracism/shunning • Obstructionism • Passive/aggressive behaviors that impede job performance or achievement of organizational objectives Source: Joel Neuman, Journal of Management, May/June, 1998

  4. Workplace Violence Can… • Be inflicted by a stranger with criminal intent, or • Be inflicted by an abusive • Employee, supervisor or manager • Client, patient or customer • Former employee, manager or supervisor • Family member or significant other

  5. Workplace Violence Can… • Affect or involve • Employees • Visitors, customers, patients or clients • contractors

  6. Why the Increase in Workplace Violence? • Increase in societal tolerance of violence • Acceptance of violence as a form of communication • Increased accessibility to weapons • Less control over work environment • Lack of careers, commitment and loyalty • Job vs. career • Downsizing, Reengineering • Do more with less • Loss of middle management

  7. Why the Increase in Workplace Violence? (con’t) • Substance abuse • Psychological factors • Increasing stress • Breakdown of support systems • Nuclear families • Extended families • Sense of neighborhood/community • Change • The increasing pace of change • Ability to cope with pace of organizational change

  8. Why the Increase in Workplace Violence? (con’t) • Insatiable electronic media demands • 24/7 TV news • The Internet • Government and government workers easy targets for angry citizens • Changes in government benefits and services • Entitlement philosophy

  9. How Big Is The Problem? • Source of the statistics needs to be kept in mind • Two general sources of data • Crime statistics • Occupational injury statistics • OSHA • Bureau of Labor Statistics Annual Survey • National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities Surveillance System - NIOSH

  10. How Big Is The Problem? • Nationally • 1 million individuals are the victim of a violent workplace crime each year (BJS) • This represents 15% of all violent crimes committed annually in America (BJS) • The 1998 National Crime Victimization Survey estimates some 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year. (Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1994) (Source: National Crime Victimization Study – 1998)

  11. How Big Is The Problem? • Nationally (con’t) • 1980 – 1989 nearly 7,600 U.S. workers were victims of homicide in the workplace • Approximately 12% of all deaths from injury in the workplace • Causes of death in the workplace • #1 Motor vehicle • #2 Machinery • #3 Homicide (Source: NIOSH, 1993)

  12. How Big Is The Problem? • Nationally (con’t) • Workplace Homicides • @7,600 1980 – 1989 (NIOSH, 1993) • 1,080 in 1994 (BLS) • 860 in 1997 (BLS) • 645 in 1999 (BLS) • Overall workplace homicide has remained the third most frequent cause of fatalities in the workplace

  13. How Big Is The Problem? • Nationally (con’t) • 1997, Percent of Work-Related Homicides by Type • Type 1 Criminal Intent – 85% • Type 2 Customer/Client – 3% • Type 3 Co or Past Worker – 7% • Type 4 Personal Relationship – 5% (Source: BLS)

  14. How Big Is The Problem? • Nationally (con’t) • From 1980 – 1989, workplace homicide was the leading cause of fatal occupational injury for women (NIOSH, 1993) • In 1999, workplace homicide was the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury for women (BJS)

  15. How Big Is The Problem? • Nationally (con’t) • Victims of Workplace Violence 1992 – 1996 • 73.6% Simple Assault • 19.7% Aggravated Assault • 4.2% Robbery • 2.5% Rape and Sexual Assault • 0.05% Homicide Source: National Crime Victimization Study - 1998

  16. How Big Is The Problem? • Nationally (con’t) • Fully 99.8% of the victims of workplace violence survive the assaults they experience Source: Joel Neuman, Journal of Management, May/June, 1998 • This doesn’t make the experience any less traumatic!

  17. How Big Is The Problem? • Nationally (con’t) • Average number of violent non-fatal victimizations in the workplace, 1992 – 1996,by selected occupations • Retail - @285,000 • Law Enforcement – @240,000 • Teaching - @135,000 • Medical - @130,000 • Mental Health - @ 75,000 • Transportation - @ 65,000 Source: University of Iowa, Injury Prevention Research Center, February 2001

  18. How Big Is The Problem? • Maine’s Experience (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics) • Disabling Cases • 1997 144 cases 1.1% • 1998 164 cases 1.3% • 1999 218 cases 1.3% • Maine State Government Employees • Mental health workers • Correctional workers • Law Enforcement personnel

  19. Who Commits Workplace Violence? • 80% committed by males • 40% committed by complete strangers • 35% committed by casual acquaintances • 19% by individuals well known to victim • 1% by relatives of the victim (Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1994)

  20. Weapons Used • WORKPLACE HOMICIDES, 1990-1989 • Guns – 75% • Knives etc. – 14% (Source, NIOSH, 1993) • In 62% of the violent crimes the perpetrator was not armed; in 30% of the violent crimes the perpetrator was armed with a handgun (Source: BJS, 1994)

  21. Where Did The Incidents Occur? • 61% in private companies • 30% in government agencies • 8% involved self-employed individuals (Source: BJS, 1994)

  22. What Does Workplace Violence Cost? • The Economics of Workplace Violence • Three most affected areas are: • Costly litigation • Negligent hiring • Negligent retention • Negligent supervision • Inadequate security • Lost productivity • > 80% for 2 weeks post incident • CISD, investigations, PTSD • Increased turnover • Decreased morale

  23. What Does Workplace Violence Cost? • The Economics of Workplace Violence (Continued) • Damage Control • Tangible • Customer buying decisions • Intangible • Media exposure • Community relations • Corporate image (Source: Workplace Violence Research Institute)

  24. What Does Workplace Violence Cost? • Estimated that some 500,000 employees miss 1,751,000 days of work annually or 3.5 days per incident • This missed work equates to approximately $55 million in lost wages (Source: BJS, 1994)

  25. Classifications of Workplace Violence • Type I Criminal Intent • Type II Customer/Client • Type III Worker-on-Worker • Type IV Personal Relationship Source: University of Iowa, Injury Prevention Research Center, February 2001

  26. Classifications of Workplace Violence • Type I – Criminal Intent • Perpetrator has no legitimate relationship to the organization or its employees • A crime is usually being committed in conjunction with the violence • Robbery, shoplifting, criminal trespassing

  27. Classifications of Workplace Violence (con’t) • Type II – Customer/Client • The perpetrator has a legitimate relationship with the organization – The recipient or object of services provided by the affected workplace or victim • This category includes customers, clients, patients, students, inmates, etc.

  28. Classifications of Workplace Violence (con’t) • Type III – Worker-on-Worker • The perpetrator is an employee or past employee of the organization who attacks or threatens fellow past or present employees • May be seeking revenge for what is perceived as unfair treatment • Includes employees, supervisors and managers

  29. Classifications of Workplace Violence (con’t) • Type IV – Personal Relationship • The perpetrator usually does not have a legitimate relationship with the organization, but has or has had a personal relationship with the intended victim • May involve a current or former spouse, lover, relative, friend, or acquaintance • Domestic violence carried out at the workplace • The perpetrator is motivated by perceived difficulties in the relationship or by psychosocial factors that are specific to the perpetrator

  30. What Are Possible Risk Factors? • Exchange of money with the public • Working alone or in small numbers • Working late night or early morning • Working in high crime areas • Guarding valuable property or possessions • Working in community settings • (e.g. taxicab drivers, retail clerks, police)

  31. What Are Possible Risk Factors? (con’t) • Where alcohol/drugs sold or dispensed • Exposure to unstable or volatile persons? (e.g. health care, social services, criminal justice settings) • Employees deciding on benefits, or in some way controlling a person’s future, well-being or freedom? (Such as a government agency does) (Source: NIOSH)

  32. Conditions Allowing Workplace Violence • Individual Characteristics • Precipitating Events or Conditions • System Characteristics Source: Workplace Solutions, 1997

  33. Conditions Allowing Workplace Violence (con’t) • Individual Characteristics • Paranoid personality and thinking • Drug and/or alcohol problem • Life stressor – divorce/separation, illness, helplessness, loss or control, isolation

  34. Conditions Allowing Workplace Violence (con’t) • Precipitating events or conditions • Termination • Job changes • Harassment by co-workers or supervisors

  35. Conditions Allowing Workplace Violence (con’t) • System Characteristics • Not recognizing or ignoring early warning signs • Indifference to the needs of employees • Poor management of downsizings, terminations and accidents • Punishing or terminating impaired or deviant employees • Poor or non-existent communication between labor and management

  36. Conditions Allowing Workplace Violence (con’t) • System Characteristics (con’t) • Information that could signal problems is not shared • Lack of commitment and involvement by top management

  37. Indicators of Potential Workplace Violence • Intimidating, harassing, bullying, belligerent or other inappropriate and aggressive behavior • Numerous conflicts with customers, co-workers or supervisors • Bringing a weapon to the workplace (unless job related) • Making inappropriate references to guns

  38. Indicators of Potential Workplace Violence (con’t) • Making threats or idle threats about using a weapon to harm someone • Making statements showing a fascination with incidents of workplace violence • Making statements indicating approval of the use of violence to resolve a problem

  39. Indicators of Potential Workplace Violence (con’t) • Making statements indicating the identification with perpetrators of workplace homicides • Statements indicating desperation over family, financial or other types of personal problems • Statements about contemplating suicide

  40. Indicators of Potential Workplace Violence (con’t) • Direct or veiled threats of harm • Substance abuse • Extreme changes in normal behavior Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1998

  41. Profile of the Most Likely Type III Perpetrator • A male, aged 25 to 40 years • Has a history of violence • Tends to be a loner • Owns several weapons • Has requested some form of assistance in the past • Exhibits frequent anger • Has a history of conflict with others

  42. Profile of the Most Likely Type III Perpetrator (con’t) • Has a history of family or marital problems • After periods of verbalizing anger, will become withdrawn • Is paranoid • Exhibits self-destructive behavior such as alcohol and/or drug use Remember, don’t take profile too literally Source: www.svn.net/mikekell/v3.html

  43. Behavior Warning Signs of Potential Violence and Their Probability of Occurrence • Male (80% or better) • White (75% or better) • Working age (90% or better) • Will display one or more of the following behaviors (90% or better) • A history of violence • Evidence of psychosis • Evidence of abnormally strong sexual desire (erotomania)

  44. Behavior Warning Signs of Potential Violence and Their Probability of Occurrence (con’t) • Evidence of drug and/or alcohol dependence • Evidence of depression and withdrawal • A pattern of pathological blaming • Evidence of impaired neurological functioning • An elevated frustration level • An interest/fascination in weapons • Evidence of a personality disorder

  45. Behavior Warning Signs of Potential Violence and Their Probability of Occurrence (con’t) • Unexplained increase in absenteeism • Noticeable decrease in attention to appearance and personal hygiene • Has a plan to “solve all problems” • Resistance and over reaction to changes in policies or procedures • repeated violations of the organization’s policies

  46. Behavior Warning Signs of Potential Violence and Their Probability of Occurrence (con’t) • The following behaviors are commonly exhibited, but have an uncertain probability: • Will vocalize or otherwise act out, violent intentions prior to committing a violent act • Over a sustained period of time, will exhibit behaviors that are interpreted as insignificant, strange, bizarre or threatening by coworkers and supervisors Remember: These are general guidelines. Exceptions will always occur Source: Workplace Violence Research Institute

  47. Preventing Workplace Violence • Three general approaches to prevention • Environmental • Administrative/Organizational • Behavioral/Interpersonal Source: University of Iowa, Injury Prevention Research Center, February 2001

  48. Preventing Workplace Violence (con’t) • Environmental • Adequate inside and outside lighting • Secure entrances and exits • Security hardware • Turnstiles • Key cards • Smart cards • Biometric systems • Physical barriers

  49. Preventing Workplace Violence (con’t) • Environmental (con’t) • Metal and Explosives Detectors • Security Forces • Uniformed vs. Business Attire • Armed vs. unarmed • Specialized customer/client meeting rooms • Other engineering controls

  50. Preventing Workplace Violence (con’t) • Administrative/Organizational • Programs • Workplace Violence Plan • Threat Assessment Team • EAP • Policies • Harassment • Workplace violence • SOPs

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