1. Preventing Workplace Violence
Start with quiz
CPS Human Resources Services

2. Human Resources Consultant
Nancy Hartwell
Human Resources Consultant

3. Course Objectives
Understand what workplace violence is and its prevalence
Recognize types and stages of violent behavior
Understand some of the risk factors associated with workplace violence
As a supervisor/manager, understand the steps you must take to prevent/respond to workplace violence
Ask class what they think are ‘violent’ behaviors and make a list of these. Ask them if violence has to be physical.

4. The Law
CA Labor Code Section 6400 – Requires every employer to provide a safe and healthful work environment
CA Government Code Section – Prohibits discourteous treatment and constitutes cause for discipline.

5. The Law
CA Penal Code Section 171 (b) – Prohibits possession of a firearm and other weapons within any state or local public building
CA Penal Code Section 71 – Prohibits any person from threatening or inflicting unlawful injury upon any public employee
Weapons:
Any firearm
Any deadly weapon (PC 653K or 12020)
Any knife; blade > 4” in length and capable of being fixed in an unguarded position by the use of 1 or 2 hands
Any unauthorized tear gas weapon
Any taser or stun gun
Any object that expels a projectile (BB, pellet, paint gun, spot marker gun)
PC 653m – every person who, with intent to annoy, telephones or makes contact by means of an electronic communication device to another, and addresses to or about another person any obscene language/threat to inflict injury is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Reference DPA WVP guide, Appendix B-4).

6. OSHA GENERAL DUTY CLAUSE: Section 5(a)(1)
Each employer shall furnish to each of their employees: employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
This includes the prevention and control of the hazard of workplace violence.

7. Policy and Beyond EDD policy prohibits threats and violent acts
Employees have a responsibility to immediately report any and all acts of workplace violence to their supervisor without fear of reprisal

8. The Model Program for Workplace Violence Prevention
To view the model program go to and click on Personnel Policies
Contains comprehensive summary of policy guidelines, forms for incident report and post-incident assessment, sample templates for memos, list of key responsibilities for supervisors/managers, checklists for hazard assessment, security measures, and procedures to follow.

9. True/False #1 Assaults are the most common form of workplace violence.
False – the most common form of workplace violence is disruptive behavior like glares, intimidation, making threats, interfering with the work of others, etc.
However, if left unchecked, these behaviors can led to more serious consequences. This is why it’s so important to recognize signs of WPV early.
Destruction of property
Harassing surveillance or stalking
Suggesting to others that violence is appropriate
Unauthorized possession of weapons
Terrorist threats

10. Workplace Violence: Just What Is It?
Physical assaults
Threatening behavior
Verbal abuse
OSHA definition
Threatened violence – one survey revealed that 1 in 4 workers are victims (reported in Threat Assessment, A Risk Management Approach, pg. xii)
Threats of violence extremely damaging – result in psychological problems (Ibid.)
Workplace violence consists of any real or perceived act or threat of a physical or verbal nature that is committed in the workplace. 
Any conduct that arouses fear, hostility, intimidation, or fear of harm for an individual's personal safety or the safety of coworkers, family, friends or property.

11. Workplace Violence Facts
1 in 6 of all violent crimes occur in the workplace
1 in 4 workers report being attacked, threatened or harassed on the job
Of those who commit workplace murders, 40% commit suicide
All employees should know how to recognize and report incidents of violent, intimidating, threatening, and disruptive behavior.

12. Workplace Violence Facts
30% of workplace assaults occur among public sector employees
High-risk public service jobs include law enforcement, mental health, social services
The 30% number comes from Threat Assessment: A Risk Management Approach pg 14.
Public sector employees account for about 16% of the workforce.

13. Economic Impact of Workplace Violence
Cost 500,000 employees 1,175,100 lost work days each year
Lost wages: $55 million annually
Lost productivity, legal expenses, property damage, diminished public image, increased security: $ billions

14. True/False #2 Coworkers pose the biggest threat of workplace violence.
False - Violence by people with no connection to the workplace accounts for 80% of workplace homicides and 60% of documented cases.

15. The FBI Classification System
Type 1: Acts by criminals who have no connection with the workplace
Type 2: Acts by customers, patients, service recipients
Type 3: Acts by coworkers (current or former), supervisors, or managers
Type 4: Acts by someone who has a relationship with an employee
Not critical to remember Types, but may be helpful for reporting purposes.
Type 1: Theft usually motive. Often weapon associated. Type associated with particular occupations. (taxi drivers, convenience store workers)
80% of workplace homicides fall into this category. (FBI website) Accounts for 60% of documented cases (must be physical violence). (Threat Assessment: A Risk Management Approach, pg. 13)
Prevention different for this type than for others.
Others triggered by precipitating event.
Type 2: Somewhat inherent to job, i.e., police officer, security guard – healthcare biggest for this type
Accounts for 30% of documented cases.
Types 3 & 4 account for 10%. Most predictable.
(Percents from Threat Assessment: A Risk Management Approach by Gelles and Turner)
In CA State Government Types 3&4 are combined into Type 3.

16. True/False #3
Although she has repeatedly asked him to stop, Janna’s former long-term boyfriend has been calling her at work numerous times each day and sometimes leaves notes on her car. This is a type of workplace harassment and violence.
True. 74% of employed battered women are harassed by their abusive partners at work. (The Violence Prone Workplace, pg. 10)
Can occur employee to employee
Non-employee to employee (current or previous romantic interest)
Non-employee to employee (little or no prior contact)
Victim will usually have tried unsuccessfully to deal with stalker, which gets interpreted as reinforcement.
Will usually involve off-work contact, too.
DOJ says 13k acts against women per year by husbands and boyfriends
Check source
Also mention cyberstalking

17. Violence is a process rather than an isolated or single event.
True/False #4
Violence is a process rather than an isolated or single event.
True – usually begins with disgruntled remarks, assertive statements, innuendo, implied threats, etc.
Later if left unchecked, can escalate into physical actions like pushing, shoving, hitting, destruction of property, use of weapons, or a combination.

18. Stages of Violent Behavior
Dennis A. Davis, author of
Threats Pending, Fuses Burning,
describes three stages of violent behavior
Stage 1 – Early potential for violence
Stage 2 – Escalated potential for violence
Stage 3 – Realized potential for violence
Almost all incidents can be avoided if caught in the early stages.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these stages.

19. Stage 1 Behavior Belittling others Challenging authority
Regularly becoming argumentative
Alienating clients
Originating and spreading lies about others
Swearing excessively; using explicit language; verbally abusing others
Sexually harassing others
Discuss profanity
Ask group if they’ve observed these behaviors in the workplace.
Can be an early indication of more serious problems brewing.

20. Stage 2 Behavior Arguing frequently and intensely
Blatantly disregarding policies and procedures
Setting traps for others
Stealing from the agency or from coworkers
Making verbal threats of harm
Conveying unwanted sexual attention or violent intentions by letter, voice mail, or
Blaming others for all problems or difficulties
Can have many causes: Ask?
Emotional trauma
Drug abuse
Mental illness, Psychoses
Financial problems
Romantic interest
Jealousy
Intimidation

21. Stage 3 Behavior Physical confrontations and altercations
Displaying weapons
Committing or attempting to commit assault, sexual assault, arson, or suicide
Weapons: guns, knives, pepper spray, baseball bats, anything

22. True/False #5
Individuals are either dangerous and prone to workplace violence or they are not.
Think of violence as on a continuum – where each individual would be on the line from low to high potential for wpv. Most people are on the far left (low end) of the continuum, but as frustration/anger/intensity builds, they will move further and further to the right.
False – an employee can be problem-free for years and then change due to a new circumstance in their lives. Factors such as stress, mistrust, feelings of loss, intimidation and many other things can impact an employee’s behavior. This, in turn, can lead to potentially negative or violent behavior.

23. Risk Factors – Work Conditions
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists the following factors that increase the risk of workplace assault:
Public contact
Exchange of money
Delivery of passengers, goods, or services
Mobile workplace
Working with unstable or volatile persons
From Federal OSHA web site.

24. Risk Factors – Work Conditions
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists the following factors that increase the risk of workplace assault:
Working alone or in small numbers
Working late at night or early in the morning
Working in high crime areas
Guarding valuable property or possessions

25. Risk Factors – Work Climate
Frequent employee grievances
Understaffing
Poorly defined job responsibilities
Poor management style
High injury rate
Downsizing, reorganizing
Limited flexibility in how jobs can be performed
Inadequate or poorly trained security force
Lack of employee counseling
Also: lack of respect, low morale, hi stress due to high workload, others?
From FBI – no definitive study – generally understood
Why understaffing?
Why poorly defined job responsibilities?
What type of management style may increase risk?

26. True/False #6
Your coworker, Tim, owns several guns. He is more likely to commit an act of physical violence at work than a coworker who doesn’t own any guns.
False – just because someone owns guns doesn’t make them violent. However, if Tim were to talk repeatedly about guns, or refer to guns as a way to resolve conflicts with others, then he may be more likely to use guns in a workplace violence incident.
Zero tolerance policy – your organization MUST have a zero tolerance policy for weapons to discourage anyone from bringing any type of weapon to work. Then, if an employee violates the policy, you can take immediate action to correct the situation, and clearly document the violation. Proactive training and communication is key!

27. True/False #7
Carol, an Analyst in the department, has some psychological problems. She is more likely to become violent at work than anyone else in the department.
False. Just because someone has psychological issues does not necessarily make them a higher risk for WPV.
However, psychological problems coupled with other factors, particularly substance abuse, can be a high-risk combination for wpv.

28. Workplace Violence Profile
Key point to make is that ANYONE can be a potential candidate for WPV. An employee who has been a model worker for years can change if confronted with a challenging situation and become a WPV risk.
From Learn.com:
Males ages (verify)
Midlife transition, dissatisfied with life
Loner, no support system, low self-esteem
History of being disgruntled during employment
Projects shortcomings onto others
History of intimidating coworkers and supervisors
Feels persecuted, lacks empathy

29. True/False #8
An act of physical violence is always preceded by warning signs.
True - May not recognize, may be in denial, (not trained to recognize) or just don’t realize it at the time.

30. Warning Signs
Threats and other warnings precede incidents of physical violence
Caveat:
Threats don’t always lead to physical violence
The psychological effects of threats can exceed the harm caused by physical injuries
All threats must be taken SERIOUSLY!

31. Warning Signs Fascination with weapons Substance abuse Severe stress
Violent history
Severe changes in psychological functioning
Decreased or inconsistent productivity
Social isolation/poor peer relationships
Poor personal hygiene
Drastic changes in personality/behavior
84% of documented incidents of physical wpv occurred at hands of inds who were either chronic substance abusers or were under the influence at the time of their act. (Threats Pending, Fuses Burning, pg. 33)
Warning signs can include:
Direct or veiled threats of harm
Inappropriate and aggressive behavior
Numerous conflicts or grievances with others
Bringing a weapon to the workplace, brandishing a weapon in the workplace, making inappropriate references to weapons
Statements indicating approval of violence to resolve a problem or statements indicating identification with perpetrators of workplace homicides
Statements indicating depression to the point of contemplating suicide

32. Potential Triggers Feeling unappreciated
Inability to make a difference
Disciplinary action
Personal life issues
From: Learn.com “Taking Control of Workplace Violence”

33. That’s a Good Question!
Do you feel uncomfortable working with this person?
Does he/she have a history of inappropriate behavior?
Are you fearful around this person?
Does the person show signs of losing control?
Tell your staff that: If it feels wrong to you, report it! You could prevent something serious from happening.

34. What To Do Remain calm Put space between yourself and the other person
Position yourself so that you can ‘escape’ if needed
Speak quietly and calmly
Handouts – reference these if needed; in back of book (remind Suzanne to include these)

35. What To Do Acknowledge the other person's feelings
Calmly describe the consequences of any violent behavior
Use delay tactics that will give the person time to calm down
Report what happened

36. What NOT To Do Argue/reject the person's claims
Pose in a challenging manner
Use communication styles that would generate hostility or that could be perceived as a brush-off, a runaround, or condescending

37. What Not To Do
Make sudden movements that could be perceived as threatening
Try to make the situation less serious than it is
Make false statements or promises that you can't keep
Invade the individual's personal space, or try to act like a hero

38. “…. Don’t be timid. Act. Act. Act.”
Prevention: The Key!
Stephen Paskoff, former labor attorney and current President of a legal training group:
“…. Don’t be timid. Act. Act. Act.”
From Workforce Management 2/28/06
Speaking about the concern of invasion of privacy.
Experts estimate that 98% of workplace violence could be avoided if employees had better communication and conflict management skills.
Ask: What steps would you take if you observed and employee behaving in a manner that was potentially dangerous?

39. True/False #9
Walt brought a hunting knife to work to show one of his coworkers. The supervisor found out. Because this violates the zero tolerance workplace violence policy, Walt should be terminated.
False. Walt may be unaware of the policy and to terminate his employment might, depending on the circumstances, be over-reacting.
Walt’s supervisor must meet with him and clearly explain that this is not only a policy violation, but also a violation of the law (PC 171 b). The discussion should be documented in the event of future corrective action.
Begins with prevention. Clearly defining policy, law, rules to all employees at the start of employment, and having regular training to keep employees aware of the dangers of wpv.

40. Prevention Clear policies Safe hiring Safe discipline Safe termination
Laurance Miller, PhD, The Doe Report – Workplace Violence and Psychological Trauma
Policies:
Clear, fair strong, consistent against violence and harassment
Effective grievance procedures
Effective security programs
Supportive work environment
Open communication
Training in resolving conflicts (team bldg, negotiation)
Reporting threats, investigating
Zero tolerance
Disciplinary procedures
Hiring:
Reference checks
Careful screening
Appropriate testing
Avoid negligent hiring, negligent retention liability issues later
Safe discipline:
Based on behavior
Progressive
Consistent
Safe termination:

41. Prevention Strategies
Implement physical controls
Create a barrier between the worker and the hazard
Implement administrative controls
Practices that reduce the likelihood of violence
Combination of methods is best
Examples of physical controls:
Keep doors locked from the outside
Lock doors that lead to staff-only areas
ID tags
Check the layout of the offices
Deep counters, bullet proof glass – note: potential for increased frustration
Panic alarms
Closed circuit TVs
Security
Adequate lighting and fencing
Get advice from trained personnel
Examples of administrative controls:
Increase staffing levels so employees don’t work alone
Ban working alone
Implement a buddy system
Parking lot security escorts
Training in how to defuse hostile situations
Decrease waiting times

42. Workplace Violence Prevention Program Elements
Management commitment and employee Involvement
Worksite analysis
Hazard prevention and control
Post-incident response
Training and education
Recordkeeping and program evaluation
We’ll take a look at each of these in turn.

43. Management Commitment and Employee Involvement
motivating force to deal effectively with workplace violence
Employee involvement and feedback
enable workers to develop and express their commitment to safety and health

44. Employee Involvement Understand and comply with the policy
Participate in prevention procedures covering safety and security concerns
Be courteous, respectful, professional
Promptly and accurately report violent incidents

45. Versus…
“I should have done something”!

46. Management Commitment
Be committed to employee emotional health and physical safety
Recommend EAP early
Have a system of accountability for involved managers, and employees

47. Management Commitment: What You Can Do
Be aware
Improve your supervisory and communication skills
Inform staff of policies and procedures
Take reports of incidents seriously
Key prevention strategies:
Carefully screen job applicants (check background) and set clear standards for workplace conduct
Get to know your employees.
Encourage communication and information sharing.
Set clear standards using leadership skills.
Look/listen for direct and indirect threats.
Intervene early and assist with problems.
Document and report unusual behavior.
Be particularly alert for extreme changes in behavior or performance.

48. Management Commitment
Dennis A. Davis Threats Pending, Fuses Burning
Prepare
Address all the issues
Don’t get sidetracked
Listen carefully and respond
Seek help from/report incidents to appropriate person/department
Prepare:
Documentation
Confer with relevant parties
What do you want to accomplish
Assess your feelings and attitudes
All issues:
Don’t want to have to go back later
Only the issues:
Not the kitchen sink approach
Be specific; keep to the facts and how this impacts this workplace
Options:
Don’t put the person up against the wall
What I’d like to see you do…
This can be resolved by…
Be flexible:
Allow venting to a point
Watch your tone
Reflect their feelings
Respond to potential threats and escalating situation by utilizing proper resources such as local law enforcement, medical services, HR staff, EAP, EEO investigators.
Coordinate with other agencies/departments to develop joint WPV prevention plans.

49. Management Commitment
Implement a clear policy of zero tolerance for workplace violence
Encourage employees to promptly report incidents and suggest ways to reduce or eliminate risks
Ensure no reprisals are taken against employees who report incidents
Protect employee confidentiality
Encourage communication, offer support, create safe environment of trust

50. Common Reasons for Not Reporting
“They couldn’t have meant that…”
“It won’t happen again.”
“What will happen to them if I report this? ”
“What will happen to me if I report this? ”
“What will others think of me?”
The biggest concerns employees have about reporting wpv incidents are concerns for their own personal safety.
When managers encourage open, safe discussion with staff about workplace concerns, they help reduce anxiety and enable staff to report incidents EARLY.
These internal conversations can paralyze people and prevent them from reporting an incident. To counter this, have staff consider what might happen if they don’t report it.
Most people can recall a time when they regretted not taking action. Encourage participants to share stories when this may have happened. In order to prevent WPV, EVERY person in the organization must take an active role.

51. Management Commitment
Develop a plan for security in the workplace
Assign responsibility for implementing the plan to individuals with appropriate training and skills
Affirm management commitment to a worker- supportive environment
Set up briefings to address safety issues

52. Worksite Analysis
Conduct a step-by-step look at the workplace, to find existing or potential hazards for workplace violence

53. Worksite Analysis Assess workplace vulnerabilities
Monitor, track, and analyze incidents
Keep records of all incidents
Establish a program for post-incident response
More on post-incident response in a moment….

54. Post-Incident Response
Trauma-crisis counseling
Critical incident stress debriefing
Employee assistance programs to assist victims
Establish a management presence
Share information – open communication.
Include union leadership - can help reassure ee’s after and incident and provide helpful information
Bring in crisis-response professionals
Provide/support informational/group stress de-briefing
Handle critical sites with care (secure initially, defuse later)
Return to normalcy as early as possible and phase back into productive work
Capture lessons learned for future preparedness planning

55. Training and Education
Ensure that staff is aware of potential security hazards and ways of protecting themselves
Workplace
Violence
Program

56. Training and Education
Training program should involve all employees, including supervisors and managers
Critically important to show management commitment: “Walk The Talk”

57. Recordkeeping and Evaluation
Recordkeeping and evaluation of the violence prevention program are critical to track program effectiveness and identify changes that should be made

58. Recordkeeping Reports of work injuries or assaults
Incidents of abuse, verbal attacks, or aggressive behavior
Information on employees or clients with history of violence
Notes from safety meetings, records of hazard analyses, and corrective actions
Records of all training programs

59. Evaluation
Establish a uniform violence reporting system and regular review of reports
Review notes from staff meetings on safety issues
Analyze trends and rates in illness/injury or fatalities caused by violence
Measure improvement based on lowering frequency and severity of workplace violence

60. Sources of Assistance OSHA www.osha.gov
DPA Model Program
Public Safety Officials
Human Resource and Employee Assistance Professionals
Acknowledge EDD training program info

61. Additional Resources
Supplemental information

62. Q&A
If time allows, ask add’l questions from SAFE program, p 11

63. Thank you!