1. WORKPLACE VIOLENCE Prevention and Response
Based on the Handbook Workplace Violence Prevention and Response
By U. S. Department of Agriculture
October, 2001

2. What This Course Will Cover
What is Workplace Violence?
Responsibilities
Prevention of Workplace Violence
Identifying Potentially Violent Situations
Responding to Violent Incidents
Disclosure of Information

3. What is Workplace Violence?
Any act of violence, against persons or property, threats, intimidation, harassment, or other inappropriate, disruptive behavior that causes fear for personal safety at the work site.
Workplace violence can affect or involve employees, visitors, contractors, and other non-Federal employees.

4. What Can Cause Workplace Violence?
Work Related
Anger over disciplinary actions
Loss of a job
Resistance to policies
Disagreement
Stress
Non-Work Related
Domestic violence
Road rage
Hate incidents or crime
Stress

5. Who Can Inflict Workplace Violence?
Abusive employee
Manager
Supervisor
Co-worker
Customer
Family member
Stranger

6. Whatever the cause or whoever the perpetrator, workplace violence is not to be accepted or tolerated.

7. Employees Responsibilities
“It is up to each employee to help make USDA a safe workplace for all of us”
Be familiar with Department/Agency policy
Be responsible for securing their own workplace
Question and/or report strangers to supervisors
Be aware of any threats, physical or verbal, and/or any disruptive behavior

8. Employee Responsibilities cont.
Be familiar with local procedures for dealing with threats and emergencies
Do not confront individuals who are a threat
Be familiar with the resources of the Employee Assistance Program
Take all threats seriously

9. Supervisors Responsibilities
Inform employees of Department policies and procedures
Ensure that employees know specific procedures for dealing with threats and emergencies, and how to contact police, fire, and other safety and security officials.
Ensure that employees with special needs are aware of emergency evacuation procedures and have assistance.

10. Supervisors Responsibilities Cont.
Respond to potential threats and escalating situations by utilizing proper resources from: law enforcement, medical services, Federal Protective Service, human resources staff, and the Employee Assistance Program
Take all threats seriously
Check prospective employees’ backgrounds prior to hiring

11. Security/Facilities Staff Responsibilities
Serve as the liaison with law enforcement
Conduct regular threat assessment surveys of the facility
Keep management advised of the risk of violence, and the means to close security gaps
Work with facility personnel to improve the security level of the buildings, grounds, parking lots, etc.

12. Prevention of Workplace Violence
A sound prevention plan is the most important and, in the long run, the least costly portion of any agency’s workplace violence program. The following programs will assist in prevention:
Pre-Employment Screening
Security
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Threat Assessment Team
Agency Work and Family Life Programs

13. Pre-Employment Screening
An agency should determine, with the assistance of its servicing personnel and legal offices, the pre-employment screening techniques. Techniques may include:
Interview questions
Background and reference checks
Drug testing (if appropriate for the position under consideration and consistent with Federal laws and regulations).

14. Security
Maintaining a safe work place is part of any good prevention program. There are a variety of ways to help ensure safety. Some security measures include:
Employee photo identification badges
Guard services
Individual coded key cards for access to buildings and grounds

15. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
This program is most effective in resolving disputes when a conflict has been identified early and one of the following techniques is used:
Ombudspersons
Facilitation
Mediation
Interest-based problem solving
Peer review

16. Threat Assessment Team
This interdisciplinary team will work with management to assess the potential for workplace violence and, as appropriate, develop and execute a plan to address it.

17. Agency Work and Family Life Programs
An agency should identify and modify, if possible, self-imposed policies and procedures which cause negative effects on the workplace climate. Examples include:
Flexi-place
Child care
Maxi-flex

18. Awareness/Training
One of the most critical components of any agency’s prevention program is training.
All employees should know how to recognize and report incidents of violent, intimidating, threatening, and disruptive behavior.
All employees should have phone numbers for quick reference during a crisis or an emergency.

19. Awareness/Training
In addition, workplace violence prevention training for employees should include the following topics:
Agency’s workplace violence policy
Encouragement to report incidents & procedures to do so.
Ways of preventing or defusing volatile situations or aggressive behavior.
Diversity training to promote understanding & acceptance of co-workers and customers from different races, sexes, religions, abilities, ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations.

20. Awareness/Training Ways to deal with hostile persons. Managing anger.
Techniques and skills to resolve conflicts.
Stress management, relaxation techniques, wellness training.
Security procedures such as location and operation of safety devices such as alarm systems.
Personal security measures.
Programs operating within the agency that can assist employees in resolving conflicts such as EAP & ADR.

21. Awareness/Training Setting clear standards
In addition to the training suggested for employees, special attention should be paid to general supervisory training. It is important that supervisory training include basic leadership skills such as:
Setting clear standards
Addressing employee problems promptly.
Using the probationary period, performance counseling, discipline, and other management tools conscientiously.

22. Awareness/Training
Other areas that should be included in supervisory training are:
Ways to encourage employees to report incidents.
Skills in behaving compassionately and supportively.
Skills in taking disciplinary actions.
Basic skills in handling crisis situations.
Basic emergency procedures.
Appropriate screening of pre-employment references.
Basic skills in conflict resolution.

23. Threat Assessment
Determining the seriousness of a potentially violent or stressful situation and how to best intervene is the basis of a threat assessment.
The agency should always treat threats in a serious manner and act as though the person may carry out the threat.
The purpose of the threat assessment team is to provide guidance on managing the situation in a way that protects the employees.

24. Threat Assessment Team Members
Typically include:
Management
Employee Relations
Employee Assistance Program
Law Enforcement, and/or Security
May also include representatives from:
Civil Rights/EEO
Safety and Health Management Office
Unions, where applicable
Office of the General Counsel
Office of Inspector General
Conflict Resolution Office

25. Emergency Plans
The plan should be specific to the type of facility, building, and the workers it covers, and should describe:
Calling for help
Calling for medical assistance
Emergency escape procedures & routes
Safe places to escape
Accounting for all employees when evacuating
Procedures to secure the work area where the incident took place
Procedures for accounting for all employees
Training & educating employees
Procedures for regularly evaluating & updating plan
Procedures for debriefing participants

26. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Designed to help parties resolve conflicts with a neutral third party.
Some ADR processes include facilitation, conciliation, mediation, and ombudsperson programs.

27. Mediator Trained in listening and communicating
Can defuse tensions, and clear up misunderstandings
Creates a safe setting for open communication
Provides for improved relations and communications for the future

28. Ombudsperson “Eyes and ears” of the highest level of an organization
Listens, investigates, and recommends solutions to problems
Listens to complaints or grievances about the organization

29. Considerations for Using ADR
Parties are so committed to their views that progress is stuck
Communication styles between disputing parties require third-party assistance
You want to resolve a dispute but do not want to file a formal complaint
You want to resolve your conflict quickly

30. ADR may not be appropriate when the parties are so hostile toward each other that sitting down together might be unsafe.

31. Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Each agency has a confidential EAP with trained counselors who can address workplace stress and violence issues.
EAP is also required to help employees deal with alcoholism or drug abuse and other problems, such as, marital or financial.

32. Identifying Potentially Violent Signs
Intimidating
Harassing
Bullying
Numerous conflicts with customers, co-workers, or supervisors
Substance abuse
Statements contemplating suicide
Belligerent
Aggressive behavior
Carrying a weapon
Inappropriate references to guns or threats
Extreme changes in normal behaviors

33. If you notice violent signs, you should:
If you are a co-worker: notify the employee’s supervisor
If it is a customer: notify your supervisor
If it is your subordinate: evaluate the situation by taking into consideration what may be causing the problems
If it is your supervisor: notify that person’s manager

34. External Threats
Employees should be aware of external threats from organizations or the public. The following are some types of external threats:
Domestic Terrorist Groups
Special Interest Groups
General Public
Permittees/Contractors

35. It is very important to respond appropriately, i. e
It is very important to respond appropriately, i.e., not to overreact but also not to ignore a situation.

36. Responding to Violent Incidents
Occupant Emergency Plan
Emergency Response Team
Plans and Procedures for Recovering From a Workplace Violence Emergency
Evaluation

37. Occupant Emergency Plan
Refer to the phone numbers of security, police, and medical service in your facility occupant emergency plan
If you do not have a copy of the plan for your facility contact your supervisor

38. Emergency Response Team
Their purpose is to deal with the actual violent situation and its aftermath as well as to take steps to prevent similar future occurrences.

39. Plans and Procedures for Recovering
Agencies must be prepared to:
Deal with the situation
Help in the healing process
Get the workforce back to productivity
Employees experience three stages of “crisis reactions”

40. Stage One: Emotional Reactions
Shock
Disbelief
Denial
Numbness
Increasing heart rate
Perceptual senses become heightened or distorted
Adrenaline levels increase

41. Stage Two: “Impact stage”
Anger
Rage
Fear
Terror
Depression
Withdrawal
Grief
Sorrow
Confusion
Helplessness
Guilt

42. Stage Three: “Reconciliation stage”
Employee tried to make sense out of the event
Understand its impact
Through trial and error, reach closure of the event so it doesn’t interfere with his or her ability to function and grow
Long-term process

43. Evaluation Determine if everything was done that could have been done
What can be done to prevent it from happening again
Threat assessment and emergency response teams should be part of this process.

44. Disclosure of Information
Threat Assessment Team
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
Dealing With the Media

45. Threat Assessment Team
Information will be released to individuals needing the information in order to conduct an appropriate investigation into the situation, protect agency personnel, or confront the person making the threat.

46. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
This type of debriefing allows the employees a chance to:
Recover from severe stress
Talk about what they have gone through
Compare their reactions with those of others.

47. Dealing With the Media
Questions from the news media relating to incidents of workplace violence should be forwarded to the appropriate public affairs staff for your office.

48. Conclusion Take The Quiz
For additional information regarding preventing workplace violence, please review REE Policy & Procedure found at the following website:
Take The Quiz