Jean Prather, PHR
Office of Human Resources

Sept 24, 2009
Violence at work “….is becoming a growing concern around the country” New Haven Police
Chief James Lewis said in The New York Times after a Yale University worker was found dead at her job. Researcher Annie Le’s funeral is
Saturday in California. Raymond Clark III, who worked at Yale with Le, has been charged with her murder. “There is no specific profile” of a potentially dangerous individual. “However changes in a person’s conduct can signal they are at risk for dangerous behavior.”

“Many employers, managers, and workers are
not particularly aware that the potential for
violence is a risk facing them in their own
workplaces. The public is generally not
aware of either the scope or the prevalent
types of violence at work.”
(National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health)

• National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health …..
– Homicide is the leading cause of death for women in the workplace; it is the fourth leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States.
– Workplace violence incidents have increased by 41% over the past 10 years.

– Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries (CFOI) – 521 workplace homicides in the preliminary count for 2009.
– Bureau of Justice Statistics – an estimated 1.7 million workers are injured each year during workplace assaults.
– Dept. of Justice – One in four employees will become the victim of workplace violence.

– The annual tab for violence, as well as stressinducing hostility in the workplace, is about
13.5 billion in medical costs and 1.75 million for lost days at work.
• Cost to business; over $4 billion annually.
– 76% of all workplace homicides are committed with a firearm.

Are the numbers presented surprising to anyone?
Do you think you are fully aware of the potential for violence in your specific or surrounding areas?

• Workplace violence is any physical assault, threatening behavior, or verbal abuse occurring in the work setting.
• A workplace my be any location either permanent or temporary where an employee performs any work-related duty.

• Threats of harm.
• Brandishing a weapon or an object which appears to be a weapon.
• Intimidating, threatening, or directing abusive language toward another person.
• Stalking a campus community member or visitor on/off campus.

• Slapping, punching, or otherwise physically attacking a person.
• Telling another person you will "beat them up" to intimidate them.
• Putting your closed fist close to another's face in an intimidating/threatening manner.
• Using greater physical size/strength or greater institutional power to intimidate another.

• Aggravated assault
• Sexual assault
• Homicide

Understanding the definition of violence in the workplace, have you ever witnessed violence at work?
Have you worked with or around a bully? Or someone that constantly plays jokes and/or belittles a co-worker?

• Increase in societal tolerance of violence
– Acceptance of violence as a form of communication
• Substance abuse
– U.S. makes up 8% of world’s population but consumes 60% of world’s illegal drugs (Dept. of
Labor)
• Layoffs and downsizing
– Do more with less
– Loss of middle management

•
Less control over work environment
•
Lack of careers, commitment and
loyalty
– Job vs. career
•
Ethnic and cultural differences among
workers
•
Employers not taking threats seriously

• Increased accessibility to weapons
• Psychological factors
– Increasing stress
– Breakdown of support systems
• Nuclear families
• Extended families
• Sense of neighborhood/community
• Change
– The increasing pace of change and the ability to cope with the pace of change

• 80% committed by males
• 40% committed by complete strangers
• 35% committed by casual acquaintances
• 19% by individuals well known to victim
• 1% by relatives of the victim
Bureau of Justice Statistics

• Current or former disgruntled employee or student
• Relative of employee (domestic violence)
• Contractor/Vendor
• Visitor
• Delusional person

• Recently disciplined
• Passed over for promotion
• Didn’t get vacation time they wanted
• Employment terminated
• Wages garnished
• Alone or in conjunction with other personal stressors

• Didn’t get the class they needed
• Didn’t get the grade they expected
• Didn’t make sports team or wasn’t accepted into Greek organization
• Recently disciplined
• Not part of the “in” crowd and/or being bullied

• Violence at home spills over
into the workplace
• 21.4% of crimes in the workplace are domestic violence spillovers

• Paranoid personality and thinking
• Acts against him/her perceived to be wrong
• May or may not have a connection to the Institute

• Stress at Work
– Limited control over work and how assignments are handled
– Being pulled in multiple directions and unable to finish or manage projects
– Working really long hours or putting in a lot of overtime (unwillingly)
– Worried about job security.
– Overdue for a vacation - time off on hold.

• Stress at Work
– Problems with getting along with your colleagues or your boss.
– Boss is unreasonable.
– Subordinates who are less than qualified.
– Project deadlines are approaching, simultaneously.
– Too many projects and too little time.

• Stress at Home
– Financial difficulties
– Problems with children/teenagers
– Marital problems or divorce
– Death of loved one
– Fires, floods, tornadoes, etc., that cause loss of home and/or property

Are your employees comfortable enough with you to share when they are under extreme duress?
If not, do you know your employees well enough to tell when they are under extreme duress?
What advice would you give your employee if they were experiencing major stress at home and at work?

• Low self-esteem
• Low impulse control
• Lack of empathy
• Social withdrawal
• Feelings of rejection or being “picked on”
• Resistant to change
• Easily frustrated
• Challenge authority

• Chronic behavior problems
• Inconsistency
• Mood swings
• Changes in work quality and productivity
• Avoiding colleagues
• Missed deadlines
• Attendance problems

• Intimidating, harassing, bullying, belligerent or other inappropriate and aggressive behavior
– Invading other’s personal space
• Numerous conflicts with co-workers, supervisors, students and vendors
• Bringing a weapon to the workplace
• Making inappropriate references to guns

• Making threats or idle threats about using a weapon to harm someone
• Openly fascinated with violence and/or killing power of guns
• Making statements indicating approval of the use of violence to resolve a problem
• Making direct or indirect threats

•
Statements indicating desperation over family,
financial or other types of personal problems
•
Statements about contemplating suicide
•
Tendency to take everything personally
•
Obsesses about employee or student manual
and “grievance” policy
•
Sees him/herself as a victim
•
MUST be right all of the time
•
Substance abuse

• Look for patterns
– Stressors
– Personality
– Performance Red Flags
– Potential Indicators

•
Three most affected areas are:
•
Costly litigation
•
Negligent hiring and retention
•
Negligent supervision
•
Inadequate security
•
Lost productivity
•
> 80% for 2 weeks post incident
•
Increased turnover
•
Decreased morale

• Damage Control
• Tangible
– Students coming to campus decisions
• Intangible
– Media exposure
– Community relations
• Institute image
( Source: Workplace Violence Research Institute)

– Not recognizing or ignoring early warning signs
– Indifference to the needs of employees
– Poor management of downsizings, terminations and accidents
– Poor or non-existent communication between employees and management
– Information that could signal problems is not shared
– Lack of commitment and involvement by top management

• Fear of becoming a target
• Fear of retaliation
• Don’t want to get involved

• Know your employees!
• Have regular communication with your employees.
• Provide job skills training.
• Offer counseling through Health Care Benefits
• Explain FMLA to those with health issues or with family members with health issues.

• Respect
– Honor commitments
– Be on time
– Offer positive feedback when earned
– Acknowledge your employees and always respond to their greetings
– Provide clear expectations and instructions

• Respect
– Never demean your employees; no . . .
• Finger wagging or pointing
• Yelling
• Threats
• Sarcasm
• Name calling
• Criticizing in public

• Treat all employees consistently.
• Notify Human Resources and Public
Safety of concerns and potential problems.
• Advise employee(s) of referral resources.
• Communication is crucial.

• Remain Calm!
• Be a good listener
• Don’t be judgmental
• Do not get physical
• Focus on the issues – not the person
• Explain referrals & Confidentiality

• Pinpoint the basis for the termination and thoroughly investigate to get all of the facts prior to the termination.
• Terminate at the beginning or end of the shift and do it on Monday - never on
Friday.
• Never do a termination alone.
• Be factual and to the point . . . be very empathetic.

• Don’t talk down to or demean the employee in any way.
• Have a means of escape; when disciplining or terminating an employee, you stay closest to the door.
• If you think there may be problems, notify Public Safety prior to the termination.

• Be aware of your surroundings
• Know where your exits are
• Implement a “buddy system”
• Leave with keys in hand
• Consider workplace layouts

• Move your vehicle closer, if working late or call Public Safety to escort you to your vehicle
• Maintain the ability to communicate
• Report all incidents

• Inform management or Public
Safety of all restraining orders
• Train all employees

• Educate
• Listen
• Work with Management