Workplace Violence

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

2. Work Place Violence Example

3. What is Workplace Violence? • Threatening behavior – shaking fists, destroying property, throwing things, etc. • 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 Abuse

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

5. Where does Workplace Violence occur? • Traditional Workplace • Offsite business related function(s) • Business related social function(s) • Home • Airplane

6. Professions where workplace violence is allowed • Professional Wrestling • Professional Hockey • Law Enforcement • Security Guards • Military

7. Workplace Violence: Real Cases • Columbine High School • 12 Dead; 15 Wounded • Navistar Plant (Chicago, IL) • 5 Dead • Taiwanese Parliament • Brawl between 24 lawmakers

8. Stats • Approx. 2 million physical attacks per year, with another 6 million threatened • Romantic entanglements are about 20 percent of the physical attacks, sexual harassment or rage accounts for 6 percent • Robbery accounts for 85% of workplace homicides • Declared an epidemic by CDC in 1992

9. Stats for 2006 • Total: 5% of all workplaces experienced some form of workplace violence • Larger companies (1000+): 50% • State Government: 32% Pie Chart? • Local Government: 15% • Private industry: <5%

10. Costs of Workplace Violence • Total Average Cost to U.S. Businesses: • $4.2 billion (1993 NSWI Study) • $32 billion (1994 WVRI Study) • Costs ½ Million Workers 1,751,000 days a year • Average: 3.5 days per incident • $55 Million in lost wages

11. Trends • Replaced machine accidents as the 2nd leading cause of workplace deaths in the 1990s • Peaked in 1994 • Steadily decreasing since • 4th leading cause in 2006 • Increased awareness and preparedness

12. Total Workplace Homicides

13. Prevention

14. Employer Directed Types Of Workplace Violence • Domestic Directed • Property Directed

15. Defining Workplace Violence Men vs. Women

16. 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)

17. Three factors for workplace Violence • A Violence prone individual • A stressful or triggering event • Violence prone work environment

18. 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 • Paydays/Performance appraisals

19. AAOHN Survey Results:Recognizing the Warning Signs

20. 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: 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

21. 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 customers or coworkers • Irritability and anxiety escalates

22. Stages of workplace violence • Stage 2 • Plays the role of the victim • Writes violent or sexual notes to coworkers • Verbalized desire to harm coworkers or employer • Sabotages equipment or steals property • Disregards company policy • Levels of altercations increase with all personnel • Noted decrease in motivation and confidence of work

23. Stages of workplace violence • Stage 3 • Intense Anger is the most frequent emotion displayed - Depression - Property destruction - Physical fighting - Suicidal threats - Use of weapons

24. Workplace Violence: Federal Guidelines • Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) Act of 1970 • Employers must provide a safe and healthful workplace • Created the following agencies: • Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) - Develops and enforces workplace safety and health regulations • National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) - Provides research and training on occupational safety and health • Offer guidelines on preventing violence in the workplace • No specific standards on violent employee behavior

25. Workplace Violence: State Regulations • States have adopted their own standards • Example: • Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act of 2005 (Illinois) • 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

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

27. Workplace Violence: Against Property • Misdemeanor • Vandalism: Defacement or destruction of a structure, symbol, or anything else that goes against the will of the owner • Felony • Robbery: Seizing of property through violence or intimidation • Burglary: Breaking into a building with the intent to commit theft

28. Workplace Violence: Against a Person • Misdemeanor • Assault/Battery: Any form of non-consensual, harmful, or insulting contact with an intent to do inflict an injury • Felony • Aggravated Assault: Attempt to cause serious bodily harm 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 afterthought”

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

30. 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

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. Work Place Violence Example

37. Questions?