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There are over one million victims each year.
How often do you hear of a violent act where you work?
A recent US Department of Justice statistic indicates that over one million individuals are victims of some form of violence in the workplace each year. Violent acts have become the leading cause of death of women in the workplace. A violent incident in the workplace will occur approximately every 17 minutes in the US, and workplace violence in Monroe County is increasing at an alarming rate.
Meeting with High Risk Employees
Addressing employees before their behavior escalates can reduce the risk of violence by as much as 90 percent. The following tips will greatly improve the results of this meeting.
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- Be approachable
- Project calmness
- Listen with empathy
- Acknowledge the employee's feelings
- Review the ground rules about unacceptable behavior
- Use delaying tactics to give employees time to cool down
- Break big problems into manageable pieces
- Accept criticism
- Ask employees for their recommendations on appropriate behavior
- Agree on a suitable plan and timeline
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Training for managers in how to deal with difficult people, different work styles and conflict situations will help these meetings go more smoothly. Interpersonal skills training for employees will also increase the likelihood of success.
Tips for Preparedness
Preparedness goes beyond defusing potential situations. Every company should develop a crisis management team and crisis management plan in the event a situation escalates to violence. The crisis management team should include your human resources manager, building security, company president, division managers, public relations manager, local police representative, corporate attorney and Employee Assistance Program representative.
When managing the impact of violent behavior, engaging a psychologist can reduce reoccurrence by as much as 60 percent. Proper training for managers and employees in dealing with workplace violence can reduce a company's liability in the event of lawsuits.
Remember, the business case to justify preparedness requires only one mishandled incident.
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