Workplace Violence

1. Workplace Violence • Presented By: • Tom Cassling • Lee Duffy • Parris Ng • Greg Oclon • Sameer Patel

2. What is Workplace Violence? • Threatening behavior – shaking fists, destroying property, throwing things • Verbal or Written Threats • Harassment - any behavior that demeans, embarrasses, humiliates, annoys, alarms or verbally abuses a person and that is known or would be expected to be unwelcome. This includes words, gestures, intimidation, bullying, or other inappropriate activities. • Verbal Abuse • Physical Violence

3. Total Workplace Homicides

4. Where does Workplace Violence occur? • Tradition Workplace • Offsite business related function • Business related Social Functions • Home • Airplane

5. Stats for 2006 • Total: 5% of all workplaces experienced some form of Workplace Violence • Of larger companies (1000 +): 50% • State Government: 32% • Local Government: 15% • Private Industry: < 5%

6. Factors that increase workplace violence • Working with Money • Working with Prescription drugs • Government Inspection Duties, e.g. EPA • Providing service/care and/or education • Working in a place where alcohol is served • Having a mobile workplace(taxicab)

7. Risk of Workplace Violence Increases with: • Time of day : Late Night or Early Morning • Tax return Season • Layoffs/Downsizing • Overdue utility bill cutoff dates • Christmas • Payday/performance appraisal days

8. Professions where workplace violence is allowed • Professional Wrestling • Professional Hockey • National Football League • Law Enforcement • Security Guards • Military

9. Workplace Violence: Real Cases • Columbine High School: (12 dead, 15 wounded) • Navistar Plant: Chicago, Il (5 dead) • Taiwanese Parliament: Brawl between 24 lawmakers

10. Work Place Violence Example • Other Slides\OfficeSpace1.wmv

11. Types Of Workplace Violence Employer Directed Domestic Directed Property Directed Commercial Directed

12. Warning Signs of Violence • Eight Categories of high-risk behavior • Actor – ex. Yelling, Shouting, Slamming Doors • Fragmentor – ex. He/She blames others for their mistakes • Me-First – ex. Employee takes a break during a last minute rush • Mixed-Messenger – ex. Says they are a team player, but will not share information • Wooden Stick – ex. Wants to be in charge • Escape Artist – ex. Employee deals with stress by lying or cheating • Shocker – ex. The employee exhibits a new attendance pattern • Stranger – ex. The employee begins to alienate themselves.

13. AAOHN Survey Results:Recognizing the Warning Signs

14. Defining Workplace Violence Men vs. Women

15. Stages of workplace violence • Stage 1 • Unusual Behavior Changes • Uncooperative with direct Supervisor on a regular basis. • Curse profusely • Argue with coworkers constantly • Unwanted sexual remarks • Hostile towards customer or coworkers • Irritability and anxiety escalates

16. Stages of workplace violence • Stage 2 • Plays the role of the victim • Writes Violent or sexual notes to other coworkers • Verbalizes desire to harm coworkers or employer • Sabotages equipment or steals property • Disregards company policies • Levels of arguments or altercations increase with all personal • Noted decrease in interest and confidence in work

17. Stages of workplace violence • Stage 3 • Intense Anger is the frequent emotion displayed. • Depression • Property Destruction • Physical fighting • Suicidal threats • Use of Weapons

18. Three factors for workplace Violence • A Violence Prone Individual • A Stressful or Triggering event • Violence Prone Work Environment

19. Stats • Approx. 2 million physical attacks per year, with another 6 million threaten • Romantic entanglements are about 20 percent of the physical attacks, sexual harassment or rage accounts for 6 percent • AMA polled 31 companies, 25 percent of these companies said at least one employee had been attacked or killed • Murder is the third leading cause of occupational death behind motor vehicles crashes and machine related incidents

20. Stats • Costs business on average 4 billion dollars annually with security costing up to 30 billion annually. • Robbery is the most common motive for work related homicide, accounting for 85 percent of the deaths.

21. Costs of Workplace Violence • Total Average Cost to U.S. Businesses: • $4.2 billion (1993 NSWI Study). • $32 billion (1994 WVRI Study).

22. Prevention

23. Work Place Violence Example • Other Slides\WPV2.wmv

24. Why? • Achieve Notoriety or Fame • Bring attention to a personal problem • Avenge a perceived wrong • End personal pain, to be killed.

25. Workplace Violence: Federal Guidelines • Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) • “General Duty Clause” in OSH Act offers guidelines • Advisory in nature and informational in content

26. Workplace Violence: State Regulations • Healthcare Workplace Violence Prevention • License can be denied or revoked if licensee: • Submits false information • Refuses to allow an inspection to occur • Fails to submit or implement a workplace violence prevention plan in compliance with state laws

27. Workplace Violence: Against a Person • Misdemeanor • Assault/Battery: Any form of non-consensual, harmful or insulting contact with an intent to inflict an injury • Felony • Aggravated Assault: Attempt to cause serious bodily injury to another person (with or without a deadly weapon) • Manslaughter: Intent to cause death or serious injury, but potential liability mitigated by circumstances (provocation or heat of passion) • Murder: Unlawful killing of a human being with “malice aforethought”

28. Workplace Violence: Against Property • Misdemeanor • Vandalism • Felony • Robbery: Seizing of property through violence or intimidation • Burglary: Breaking into a building with an intent to commit theft

29. Workplace Violence: Punishments • Misdemeanor • Maximum punishment of 12 months of incarceration (typically in local prison). • Felony • Imprisonment for one or more years. • Death penalty for the most serious felonies • Loss of voting rights • Prohibition from obtaining certain licenses

30. Workplace Violence Prevention • The most effective and least costly approach • Recommended strategies: • Awareness/Training • Threat Assessment • Long-Term Security • Disciplinary Teams or ADR • EAP • Common Barriers

31. Awareness/Training • All employees must be trained to… • Recognize and report incidents of violent behavior • Diffuse potential volatile situations • Manage anger and stress • Address problems promptly • Report all incidents to the appropriate representatives • Supplemental Training • Teamwork & Sharing Information

32. Threat Assessment • Determine the seriousness of a potentially violent situation • Choose the optimum intervention strategy • Always treat threats in a serious manner and act as though the employee may carry it out • Threat Assessment Teams – evaluate risks

33. Long-Term Security • Environmental Interventions • Improve visibility, video surveillance, • bullet-proof glass, detectors, etc. • Behavioral Interventions • Aggressive behavior training, proper • equipment use, robbery response, etc. • Administrative Interventions • Hours of operation, cash on hand, locked • doors, staffing levels, etc.

34. Disciplinary Teams or ADR • Multidisciplinary Teams • Consist of individuals from different departments and levels • Help plan, develop, and implement prevention programs • Proactive nature • “Alternative Dispute Resolutions” • Helps resolve disagreements by way of various techniques • Ombudsmen • Interest based problem solving • Facilitation • Mediation • Peer Review

35. EAP • “Employee Assistance Program” • Trained counselors who address all employee issues • Violence • Drug/Alcohol • Financial • Stress • Marital • Misc. • Help in the prevention of violence through: • Early involvement in organizational change • Training employees on conflict resolution and communication skills • Develop plans of action and encourage active EAP participation • Maintain confidentiality

36. Common Barriers • Current workplace culture • Needs to transfer from care-free to WPV aware • Provide adequate resources for all employees • Partial Participation • Program should be launched top-down • Management and workers should come together to develop • sound WPV prevention policies