Editor’s Message


Thank you to everyone who responded to our recent survey regarding ‘Who is responsible for managing workplace


violence prevention in your organization?’ See survey results and let me know you thoughts.


I was reading some old files and came across the article, ‘What Dr. Deming Can Teach Us About Safety Management.’ Two items mentioned in this article are particularly germane to create a safe and secure work environment:


· We need to go far beyond common sense and seek to understand common causes – and fix the system instead of the worker,


· The fact that accidents [violent incidents] are relatively rare events should remind us that the absence of a negative does not always mean you have a strong positive.


”Once again a facility has conducted an unan- nounced workplace violence drill and you guessed it, they are being sued. Some lessons get learned the hard way. Never conduct a surprise workplace violence drill. Remember “those who ignore the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.”


I am extremely pleased to welcome Ellen Pinkos Cobb, J.D. distinguished author and international expert on bullying and harassment as a contribut- ing columnist with a new column focused on what’s new in workplace bullying and harassment around the world. The column, Around the World: What’s New in Workplace Bullying and Harassment? will appear at the top of the International News section.


In addition, I am also pleased to announce that world renown crisis management expert, Bruce Blythe, CEO, Crisis Management International, Inc. will be joining our esteem team of contributing columnist with a new column called Crisis Manage- ment Insights in the October edition. Bruce is one of the foremost experts on Crisis Management in the world, a distinguished member of ASIS International’s Crisis and Business Continuity Council and one of the true veterans in the work- place violence prevention field. We are honored to have him contributing and sharing his vast knowl- edge with our readers.


Thanks for joining us this month and stay safe. Continued on page 22 2


Employers Have an Obligation to Address Workplace Violence


Statistics illustrate why employers should take the first steps to address workplace violence by adopting policies and procedures that demonstrate to their employees the importance of a safe workplace. Those policies may include substantial disciplinary action or the possibility of termination for harassing or threatening behavior. Employees should be encouraged to report suspicious or threatening circumstances, and employers must respond swiftly. Failure to take such reports seriously could result in substantial liability for an employer. Retaliation against an employee who reports workplace violence may result in a lawsuit not only by the employee, but also by the U.S. Department of Labor.


Read more DE CIS IONPOINT


This column is designed to help sharpen your judgment in providing valuable advice regarding how to handle incidents of aggression.


Does the ADA (or state law equivalent) prohibit an employer from terminating an employee whom suffers from depression or other mental disorders for threatening other employees?


The Situation:


PCC Structurals, had written workplace violence policy that stated that threatening workplace violence was grounds for disciplinary action including termination. An employee told several co-employees that he was thinking of killing his supervisors. The co-employees reported this to HR. The employee was contacted by the HR manager and confirmed his threats. The employee was suspended and police were called. The employee was hospitalized for six days, was thereafter released and went into therapy. After two months, the employee’s two therapists released him to return to work. Shortly thereafter, PCC terminated the employee because of the threats of violence on the basis that he had violated PCC’s employee conduct and work rules. The employee sued claiming that his termination violated Oregon’s disability discrimination statute.


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