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Preventing and Managing Workplace Violence Employee Education. Stephen D. Hart, Ph.D. Proactive Resolutions Inc. Why Educate?. Three concerns: Humanitarian Negative impact on well being of staff, clients Economic Costs money, bad publicity Legal Statutory and common-law requirements.
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Preventing and ManagingWorkplace ViolenceEmployee Education Stephen D. Hart, Ph.D. Proactive Resolutions Inc.
Why Educate? Three concerns: • Humanitarian • Negative impact on well being of staff, clients • Economic • Costs money, bad publicity • Legal • Statutory and common-law requirements
Goals of Education Give employees the knowledge and skills to: • Recognize warning signs • Ensure the physical safety of staff and clients once warning signs are evident • Report and document the presence of warning signs • Ensure that victims receive adequate follow-up
Definition • Actual, attempted, or threatened physical harm of an employee or the employee’s family, friends, or property • Includes fear-inducing behavior • Unique social context
Continuum • Violence usually is the end result of an escalation of conflictual behavior • Threats with weapons • Assault • Homicide • Verbal threats • Destruction of property • Tantrums • Insults • Swearing • Shouting
Cause • The cause of workplace violence is a decision to act violently • Conscious, deliberate, and goal-directed • The nature of the decision and the way in which it is made are influenced by a host of biological, psychological, and social factors • Corollary: People can choose not to be violent
Who and Why • Perpetrators fall into four major groups • Strangers, clients, co-workers, family or friends of co-workers • Motives fall into four major categories • For-profit, conflict (“grudge”), relationship problems, romantic (sexual) obsessions
For-Profit • Context is retail or financial business • Perpetrator is a stranger • Motive is material gain • No direct warning signs, but: • People loitering near the business, increase in local crime rate
Conflict • Context is health or social service • Perpetrator is an acquaintance, such as a disgruntled client or co-worker • Motive is to communicate distress in response to a perceived wrong • Warning signs: • Escalating conflict, aggression, violence; extreme stress, emotional or mental problems
Relationship Problems • Perpetrator is current or former intimate partner of a female co-worker • Motive is to re-establish or protest termination of relationship • Warning signs • Recent relationship break-up, history of spousal violence, harassing behavior, extreme stress, emotional or mental problems
Romantic Obsessions • Perpetrator is co-worker — possibly single, lonely, male • Motive is to establish intimate relationship • Warning signs: • Inappropriate interest in co-worker, emotional or mental problems
Loitering strangers Increase in local crime rate Escalating conflict Relationship conflicts Romantic obsessions Extreme stress Emotional or mental problems Insulting, discriminatory comments or behavior Violent thoughts or fantasies Bringing weapons to the workplace Warning Signs: Summary
Principles of Intervention • Recognizing context to maximize options • Violence is an interpersonal act • Decisions to act violently are influenced by a individual, interactional, organizational, and extra-organizational factors
Principles of Intervention • Prevention • Preventing conflict is easier and cheaper than responding to violence • Preventing further violence is easier and cheaper than dealing with the aftermath of violence
Prevention • Dynamic security • Risk analysis • Hazard accounting • Employee education • Recognize warning signs • “Straight Talk” • Respectful workplace policy • Conflict management procedures
Prevention (cont.) • Static (physical) security • Visibility • Surveillance • Barriers • Memory aids
Principles of Intervention • Proportionate response • Employers must do all that is necessary to prevent (further) violence • Employers must not infringe rights or freedoms more than is necessary to prevent violence
Response • Workplace violence policy • Employee education/training • Respond to warning signs to ensure safety • Documentation and reporting procedures • Oral and written • Crisis management procedures • Liaison with law enforcement and private security • Threat management team • Follow-up services
Response (cont.) • Response options • Corrective • Assessment, conferencing, mediation, arbitration • Retributive • Censure, discipline, suspension • Incapacitative • Dismissal, referral to police • Response plan should always include monitoring (follow-up)
Contact Information • Stephen D. Hart, Ph.D.Director, Training and DevelopmentProactive Resolutions Inc.Canadian Office3260 Pleasant StreetRichmond, BC V7E 2P2Tel: 877-585-9933 / Fax: 604-275-8264