WORKPLACE VIOLENCE So what happens if, despite your best efforts, the employee makes no prog-


ress and the angry or antisocial behavior continues? “If the employee is resistant to change, you will need to look at termination,” says Boncsyk. Before firing the individual, consult with your attorney to make sure you comply with all federal and state laws. “Put the employee on notice and document everything. Such doc- umentation will be needed later if the employee sues for wrongful discharge.”


The act of firing a troubled employee can itself lead to an act of violence.


It is prudent to take steps to reduce the risk of injury. “Have a member of law enforcement on hand if you feel the employee may become violent during the termination,” says Bonczyk.


Prevent Tragedy Taking quick action to deal with unsettling behavior is important, but so is doing whatever you can to obviate such situations. One of the most effective steps is ex- ercising care when taking on new staff members. “Conduct adequate background screening when hiring a new worker,” says Bonczyk. “It is very difficult to coach


Quiz: How Prepared Are You For An Act Of Workplace Violence?


Take this quiz to assess your preparedness for an act of workplace violence. Score 10 points for each “yes.”


1. Have you published and communicated a “zero tolerance” policy?


2. Have you trained your workforce on violence warning signs and reporting practices?


3. Have you built trust and confidence in your workforce so that people feel safe from harm when they report what they see?


4. Have you trained all your supervisors on aspects of workplace violence prevention?


5. Do you resolve all reported observations and reports quickly? 6. Have you prohibited weapons in the workplace?


7. Do you discipline and treat every employee with dignity and respect?


8. Do you carefully vet potential employees for previous incidents of workplace violence?


9. Do you confront misbehaving employees with statements of observed evidence rather than judgments?


10. Have you coordinated with your local law enforcement in advance of any event?


Now total your scores and assess your readiness on this scale: 80 or


higher means you are well prepared for an act of violence. Between 60 and 80 means you need to up your game. And below 60 means that you need to start developing good policies and procedures.


or counsel a troubled individual once that person has joined your organization.”


Document your vetting activity, re-


cording the steps you took to uncover any previous history of workplace violence. That will provide important evidence in defending your organization against law- suits by injured parties. “Plaintiffs’ coun- sels will ask for personnel files to see if employers performed due diligence dur- ing the hiring process,” says Bonczyk.


Another effective preventive measure


involves employee training. “All employ- ees need to know how to recognize at-risk behaviors,” says Maxey. “Urge them to re- port what they observe to supervisors.”


Employees often hold back from re-


porting what they see because they think they might get someone in trouble unnec- essarily, or that they might be retaliated against by the person being reported or even by the company. “It is important to communicate that you will support indi- viduals who step forward,” says Maxey. “State explicitly that an employee making a report in good faith will not be retali- ated against. And establish multiple chan- nels of reporting, including anonymously. That can encourage people to speak up.”


Multiple Paths Experts on workplace violence empha- size that prevention is a continuing effort rather than a single magic pill. “Employ- ers must engage in an ongoing process involving multiple prevention strategies from hiring to retiring,” says Nater.


The key to a successful workplace pol-


icy is preparation. “Don’t assume that a violent incident is not going to happen at your workplace,” says Maxey. “Establish a workable policy, communicate it to all of the employees, and make sure everyone knows how to call and report what they see.”


•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• New York-based freelancer Phillip M. Perry negotiates win-win deals with his clients everywhere.


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June 2021


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