Workplace Violence

Introduction  Public Health Problem - NIOSH

Agenda  Statistics, Motives, Risk Factors, Legal, Hiring, Prevention.

 Ten minutes

Overview  1980-89 7,600 OJM’s  Cost $4.2 Billion.

 Rate Increasing. 7/92-93 rate was triple the 1989 rate.

 Homicide is #2 cause of occupational fatalities  68% Robbery  Employer directed violence has increased 2 3 times in the last ten years.

Motives  NIOSH – Irrational behavior 26% – Dissatisfaction with service providers 19% – Interpersonal conflict 15% – Upset at being disciplined 12% – Criminal behavior 10% – Personal problems 8% – Firing or lay off 2% – Prejudice 1%, unknown 7%

Employer Risk Factors  Stress of layoff  Mergers  Downsizing  Working in ”lean & mean” company

Most Frequent Category  Robbery  Domestic or misdirected “affection”.

 Employer directed  Terrorism and hate crimes

•Is There a Violent Profile  Males late 20’s -40’s – Have frequent job changes – Have experience with weapons  Loners with low self esteem  No close friends  Difficulty communicating with family members  Jobs are the most important & stable factor in their lives

The Violent Employee  Builds to the act over time  May make progressively hostile comments/threats  Many cases, warns of intended action  Blames others for all their problems  No remorse /conscience  Works years without incident

Problem  Warnings often ignored – Thought worker was blowing off steam  Difficulties predicting who will be violent – Psychiatric hospital and mental health center patients have a lot in common with general population.

Mental Patient Profile  Violent Patients in Psychiatric Hospitals – All with perceptions they believed accurate and their course of action the only logical option available.

– All had genuine & severe mental illness

Mental Patient Profile  Outpatient Community Health Center Patients – Normal without diagnosable mental illness – Pessimistic view of reality – Personal sad tales of hurt, rejection and powerlessness.

– Quiet depression, air of desperation.

– Some feel like exploding – Shortage of internal/external resources to cope with stress and demands

Type Casting  Too difficult  Over simplistic – Overlooks other who may explode given the circumstances  Many Factors – Family, financial,

Situationally Dependent  Views of options and control  Part of a sequence of events and circumstances  Perpetrator influences only part of the sequence  Wrong place / Wrong time

VIOLENCE PREDICTION

Threatening Statements – Verbal threats to kill or do harm to oneself or others – Pattern of escalating threats that appear well planned – References to other incidents of workplace violence

Intimidating Behavior – Intimidation of coworkers – Open defiance or insubordination – Crossing of behavioral boundaries with another person (excessive phone calls, Gift giving, etc.) – Belligerent behavior – Blames others for everything that goes wrong

History of Violence – Assaults – Antisocial behavior – Prior criminal behavior

Recent Marked Performance Decline – Attendance problems – Decreased productivity – Inconsistent work patterns – Concentration problems – Increased involvement in accidents – Continual excuses

Personality Changes – Withdrawal – Change from introverted boisterous or obstreperous – Major changes in interpersonal relations – Decline in personal grooming

Mood Changes – Bizarre thoughts or paranoid behavior – Fantasies with self-centered outcomes – Irrational violent associations or thoughts – Delusional commands or statements – Secretive behavior – Strong emotional mood swings

Obsessions – Desire to hurt a specific person or group – Romantic attachment to someone – Preoccupation with a notoriously violent incident – Obsession with weapons, munitions, explosives, etc.

Serious Stress - Personal Life – Financial problems – Unprovoked crying spells – Losses: job, marriage, loved ones, children – Divorce or bankruptcy – Desperation

Killer Profile  Some experts say: – There’s a “Typical Profile” – Violent Worker gives some hint of future violence – More Selective hiring & screening polices may help – Companies need formal plans & resources

Legal Issues  Difficult & Costly to Predict  Psychological tests under attack - ADA Mental illness is covered.

Prediction  May be able to use knowledge to assess employee potential: – During selection process & interview – When domestic disputes spill into the workplace – When major changes are being made – During counseling of troubled worker – During course of employment

The Interview  Assess risk of violence – Form subjective impression of the supports a person may have – Available friends – Family  Multiple interview create a more objective basis for decision

Reference Checks  May ask about prior criminal convictions... not arrests that did not lead to conviction!

 Background checks with prior employers is common and has high face validity

Fair and Uniformly Administered Policies  Train supervisors and employees on how to resolve conflicts  Develop and enforce policies which protect employees from threats/violence  Grievance Procedures - Clear channels for communicating threats  Provide job counseling for employees who are laid off or fired

Fair and Uniformly Administered Policies  Train supervisors to recognize signs of a troubled employee  Provide counseling EAP  Provide safety education programs  Establish crisis plan (Violence Response Team)

Response Team Role  Gather facts about a potentially violent situation  Decide if the company should intervene and  Identify the most appropriate method

RESPONSE TEAM STRATEGY

Conduct Initial Assessment  Determine level of response required  Lay out steps it will follow to investigate the situation

Develop Action Plan  Review of available information  Determination of further steps

Refine Action Plan  Implement plan to protect the interests of the company  Support any potential victims  Remove any threat to workplace

Response Team Duties  Consult with an expert to: – Provide guard or 24 hour protection service – Obtain a temporary restraining order – Gain appropriate family involvement – Notify those who need to know  Review security requirements and safety precautions based upon measured threat potential/probability.

Response Team Duties  Determine emergency coordination and notification requirements  Establish privacy protection and communication procedures  Determine and involve EAP support requirements  Determine and enlist security and medical support based upon requirements  Re-evaluation as facts forward and plan new interventions

Response Team Duties  Debriefing teams reports after every episode: – Review of the facts and actions taken – Determine what can be learned from how the situation was handled – Support the team members who participated