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Workplace Violence: Be Safe & Sound, But Be Prepared: #TChat Recap

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Most victims of violence feel powerless and alone.  I’d argue most bystanders and witnesses feel the same.

Most of us want to believe that folks are basically decent, not monsters that erupt at work or at home or anywhere and take lives with them.

It can’t happen here.

Which is why many employers don’t plan for workplace violence until there’s violence, unfortunately. And even then…

In a Workforce Management article titled Waking Up to the Risks of Workplace Violence, the author writes:

In one recent training class, a senior HR leader told me he had no issues of workplace violence.

Yet, as we continued to talk, it emerged that a man had come into the company’s Midwest office looking for his girlfriend. He wanted to hurt her, and when he couldn’t find her, he pulled out a gun and shot five employees.
Stunned, I turned back to the senior leader and asked if he knew about it. “That was different; it was more of a domestic violence issue that took place at our plant.” The amazing part of this discussion was that we were in Oklahoma City, the site of one of the worst incidents of workplace violence in U.S. history.
The lesson is that violence that occurs in the workplace is workplace violence whether it takes place between spouses/domestic partners, between co-workers, by a third-party with a relationship to the organization (client, partner, etc.) or in conjunction with the commission of other crimes.

And that’s critical to understand — violence is violence is violence and companies need to be prepared.
That was what #TChat was all about last night — the dark side of workplace culture, violence and what to do and not do.  You can read the transcript here and here were last night’s questions:
  • Q1:  How does everyday violence & security breaches (like Wikileaks) impact workplace culture policies?
  • Q2:  How does your org address workplace violence during onboarding – and at other times?
  • Q3:  What is HR’s role in workplace violence intervention, prevention and post-incident?
  • Q4:  What is the CEO’s role in addressing workplace violence before it occurs, when it occurs and after?
  • Q5:  Under OSHA, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace. Discuss.
  • Q6:  How can EAPs be designed to provide maximal workplace/domestic violence assistance?
  • Q7:  How effective are your org’s workplace incivility, bullying and violence prevention programs
  • Q8:  If a colleague is threatened with violence at work from anyone, what should you do and why?

As per usual, we had a great group of HR and business professionals participating and sharing their knowledge.  It was refreshing to hear from some organizations that bake incivility, bullying and workplace violence awareness and prevention right into their hiring, onboarding and ongoing employee performance activities, whether they have an EAP or not.  A special thank you to Felix Nater for sharing his workplace violence expertise.

Along those lines, here are some ways to enlist your employees’ help in ensuring that your workplace is a violence-free zone (from the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence website):

  • Empower employees to take a stand—as caring co-workers and as your company’s ambassadors.
  • Let employees know they will not be penalized for seeking help—for themselves, their families, or co-workers in need.
  • In conjunction with your human resources department and EAP program (if available), offer counseling and referral for both victims of partner violence and abusers.
  • Help employees recognize the signs of a troublesome or abusive relationship and know where to turn for assistance, for themselves and for co-workers.
  • Invite local resource groups, such as local shelters, counseling groups and/or law enforcement representatives to make a presentation to your company. Most groups are happy to provide speakers and information to interested parties. (National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October is a great time to do this!)
  • Give each employee access to brochures and flyers to distribute to their schools, religious organizations, clubs, and other civic or social groups.
  • Invite interested employees to form a communications task force, working within the guidelines established by your cross-functional steering committee to implement your partner violence communications plan.

You can also review all the information we shared in the pre-TChat posts:

Be safe and sound, but be prepared.



Workplace Violence & Security Risks: #TChat Preview

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Originally posted by Matt Charney, one of #TChat’s moderators, on MonsterThinking Blog

“The Dark Side of Workplace Culture: Workplace Violence and Security Risks,” the theme of this week’s #TChat, is one we don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about until we’re forced to by tragedy.

The reaction to workplace violence and security risk tends to be largely reactive, but the consequences demand organizations take proactive steps to preempt, and prevent, occurrences of what’s sadly become a reality in our new world of work.

According to the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1 million workers are assaulted and 1000 are murdered every year from workplace violence; in fact, homicide is the leading cause of death for women in the workplace.

“The problem is that when some sort of violent outbreak does occur at work, we always hear things like, ‘It was just a matter of time,’ or ‘We knew something like this was going to happen,’ says Gary Lalicki, VP of Clinical Operations at Health Management Systems of America, one of the nation’s leading providers of employee assistance programs (EAPs).  “Well, if that’s the case, the question that has to be answered is, ‘why didn’t you tell anyone about this?’”

As Kevin Grossman writes in “The dark side of Workplace Culture — workplace violence and security risks, the reason is often related to an attitude of, “Don’t ask, don’t tell … you don’t want your employer to know for fear of losing your job. Employers don’t want to know for fear of potential violence in the workplace.”

“Employers have a legal duty to seek to identify and prevent everyone in the workplace from becoming victims of violence,” says Lalicki.  “Employees also have a responsibility to assist in keeping their environments safe and secure by reporting any behavior in others that may lead to incidents of violence.”

According to Lalicki, these red flags include:

  • White collar males: 91.6% of shootings on the job are committed by men; 38% of all shootings in workplace happened in “white collar” situations, making up 30% of all fatal shootings at work.
  • Laid Off: 24% of workplace shooters were laid off or fired (although Lalicki says there’s been no increase in workplace violence during the recent recession)
  • Loner: A pathological blamer or complainer whose perpetual frustration has strained work relationships and reduced productivity
  • Sudden Changes: A previously dependable, punctual and productive employee whose tardiness and absences begin to increase substantially; sudden change in health or hygiene
  • Relationships: A coworker involved in a troubled, work-related romantic situation.  13% of shootings in the workplace involved a former or current intimate relationship.

The good news, Grossman writes, “today there are thankfully so many more resources available and more and more companies have workplace violence and/or intimate partner violence programs and/or EAPs (employee assistance programs).”

While most companies offer Employee Assistance Programs, these resources are often underutilized or misunderstood by employees.

“EAPs can help any employer group have a healthier workforce, but it’s up to HR and Senior Leadership to develop training and communications which promote the company’s employee assistance program,” Lalicki says.  “Companies need to stress that these resources are completely free, confidential, and most importantly, that these programs work.”

Join #TChat tonight at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT as we discuss workplace violence and the solutions available for HRs, senior leaders and employees alike to prevent it.  The good news is, just joining the conversation’s an important first step.

“The big problem with workplace violence,” says Lalicki, “Is that we’re too afraid to talk about it.  But the risks of not talking about it are a whole lot scarier.”

#TChat Questions and Recommended Reading: 1.31.11

Here are the questions we’ll be discussing, along with some background reading, to help prepare and inform the #TChat conversation.  While this isn’t mandatory to get in on tonight’s #TChat action, we suggest checking out these articles by top career advice and talent management thought leaders to better understand workplace violence, security risks and how to prevent them:

Q1:  How does everyday violence and security breaches affect workplace culture today?

Read: When Violence Strikes the Workplace by Sarah Needleman

Q2:  How does your org address workplace violence during onboarding – and at other times?

Read: Waking Up to the Risks of Workplace Violence by Tucker Miller

Q3:  What is HR’s role in workplace violence intervention and prevention? Who else should be involved?

Read: Keeping the Workplace Safe Amid Crisis by Kate Rogers

Q4:  If a colleague is threatened with violence at work from anyone, what should you do and why?

Read: Workplace Violence: The 5 Most Important Tips Women Need to Know To Protect Themselvesby Lisa Quast 

Q5:  If you have an EAP, how do they provide workplace/domestic violence assistance?

Read: Domestic Violence: Workplace Policies and Management Strategies by Kim Wells (Executive Director, Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence) and Stacey Pastel Dougan, Esq.

Research: Domestic Violence Awareness Handbook USDA Safety, Health & Employee Welfare Division

Q6:  What are the most effective ways to minimize workplace incivility, bullying and violence?

Read: Workplace Bullying: US Employers’ Progress on Epidemic Problem by Randi Barenholtz and Denise Kay, Esq., SPHR

Q7:  Under OSHA, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace. Discuss.

Read: Employment Policies: Clean Up Your Compliance Act by Melanie Berkowitz, Esq.

Q8:  What is the role of leadership in addressing workplace violence when it occurs and before it occurs?

Read: Leadership and Workplace Violence by John Ikeda

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Our Monster social media team supports the effort behind #TChat and its mission of sharing “ideas to help your business and your career accelerate – the right people, the right ideas, at the right time.”

We’ll be joining the conversation live every Tuesday night as co-hosts with Kevin Grossman and Meghan M. Biro from 8-9 PM E.T. via @monster_works and @MonsterWW.  Hope to see you tonight at 8 PM ET for #TChat!