WORKPLACE VIOLENCE Prevention and Response

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WORKPLACE VIOLENCEPrevention and Response

• Based on the Handbook Workplace Violence
  Prevention and Response
• By U. S. Department of Agriculture
• October, 2001

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What This Course Will Cover

• What is Workplace Violence?
• Responsibilities
• Prevention of Workplace Violence
• Identifying Potentially Violent Situations
• Responding to Violent Incidents
• Disclosure of Information

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What is Workplace Violence?

• Any act of violence, against persons or property,
  threats, intimidation, harassment, or other
  inappropriate, disruptive behavior that causes
  fear for personal safety at the work site.
• Workplace violence can affect or involve
  employees, visitors, contractors, and other
  non-Federal employees.

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What Can CauseWorkplace Violence?

• Work Related
• Anger over disciplinary actions
• Loss of a job
• Resistance to policies
• Disagreement
• Stress

• Non-Work Related
• Domestic violence
• Road rage
• Hate incidents or crime
• Stress

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Who Can Inflict Workplace Violence?

• Abusive employee
• Manager
• Supervisor
• Co-worker

• Customer
• Family member
• Stranger

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• Whatever the cause or whoever the perpetrator,
  workplace violence is not to be accepted or
  tolerated.

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Employees Responsibilities

• It is up to each employee to help make USDA a
  safe workplace for all of us
• Be familiar with Department/Agency policy
• Be responsible for securing their own workplace
• Question and/or report strangers to supervisors
• Be aware of any threats, physical or verbal,
  and/or any disruptive behavior

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Employee Responsibilities cont.

• Be familiar with local procedures for dealing
  with threats and emergencies
• Do not confront individuals who are a threat
• Be familiar with the resources of the Employee
  Assistance Program
• Take all threats seriously

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Supervisors Responsibilities

• Inform employees of Department policies and
  procedures
• Ensure that employees know specific procedures
  for dealing with threats and emergencies, and how
  to contact police, fire, and other safety and
  security officials.
• Ensure that employees with special needs are
  aware of emergency evacuation procedures and have
  assistance.

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Supervisors Responsibilities Cont.

• Respond to potential threats and escalating
  situations by utilizing proper resources from
  law enforcement, medical services, Federal
  Protective Service, human resources staff, and
  the Employee Assistance Program
• Take all threats seriously
• Check prospective employees backgrounds prior to
  hiring

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Security/Facilities StaffResponsibilities

• Serve as the liaison with law enforcement
• Conduct regular threat assessment surveys of the
  facility
• Keep management advised of the risk of violence,
  and the means to close security gaps
• Work with facility personnel to improve the
  security level of the buildings, grounds, parking
  lots, etc.

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Prevention ofWorkplace Violence

• A sound prevention plan is the most important
  and, in the long run, the least costly portion of
  any agencys workplace violence program. The
  following programs will assist in prevention
• Pre-Employment Screening
• Security
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
• Threat Assessment Team
• Agency Work and Family Life Programs

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Pre-Employment Screening

• An agency should determine, with the
  assistance of its servicing personnel and legal
  offices, the pre-employment screening techniques.
  Techniques may include
• Interview questions
• Background and reference checks
• Drug testing (if appropriate for the position
  under consideration and consistent with Federal
  laws and regulations).

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Security

• Maintaining a safe work place is part of any
  good prevention program. There are a variety of
  ways to help ensure safety. Some security
  measures include
• Employee photo identification badges
• Guard services
• Individual coded key cards for access to
  buildings and grounds

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Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

• This program is most effective in resolving
  disputes when a conflict has been identified
  early and one of the following techniques is
  used
• Ombudspersons
• Facilitation
• Mediation
• Interest-based problem solving
• Peer review

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Threat Assessment Team

• This interdisciplinary team will work with
  management to assess the potential for workplace
  violence and, as appropriate, develop and execute
  a plan to address it.

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Agency Work and Family Life Programs

• An agency should identify and modify, if
  possible, self-imposed policies and procedures
  which cause negative effects on the workplace
  climate. Examples include
• Flexi-place
• Child care
• Maxi-flex

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Awareness/Training

• One of the most critical components of any
  agencys prevention program is training.
• All employees should know how to recognize
  and report incidents of violent, intimidating,
  threatening, and disruptive behavior.
• All employees should have phone numbers for
  quick reference during a crisis or an emergency.

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Awareness/Training

• In addition, workplace violence prevention
  training for employees should include the
  following topics
• Agencys workplace violence policy
• Encouragement to report incidents procedures to
  do so.
• Ways of preventing or defusing volatile
  situations or aggressive behavior.
• Diversity training to promote understanding
  acceptance of co-workers and customers from
  different races, sexes, religions, abilities,
  ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations.

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Awareness/Training

• Ways to deal with hostile persons.
• Managing anger.
• Techniques and skills to resolve conflicts.
• Stress management, relaxation techniques,
  wellness training.
• Security procedures such as location and
  operation of safety devices such as alarm
  systems.
• Personal security measures.
• Programs operating within the agency that can
  assist employees in resolving conflicts such as
  EAP ADR.

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Awareness/Training

• In addition to the training suggested for
  employees, special attention should be paid to
  general supervisory training. It is important
  that supervisory training include basic
  leadership skills such as
• Setting clear standards
• Addressing employee problems promptly.
• Using the probationary period, performance
  counseling, discipline, and other management
  tools conscientiously.

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Awareness/Training

• Other areas that should be included in
  supervisory training are
• Ways to encourage employees to report incidents.
• Skills in behaving compassionately and
  supportively.
• Skills in taking disciplinary actions.
• Basic skills in handling crisis situations.
• Basic emergency procedures.
• Appropriate screening of pre-employment
  references.
• Basic skills in conflict resolution.

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Threat Assessment

• Determining the seriousness of a potentially
  violent or stressful situation and how to best
  intervene is the basis of a threat assessment.
• The agency should always treat threats in a
  serious manner and act as though the person may
  carry out the threat.
• The purpose of the threat assessment team is
  to provide guidance on managing the situation in
  a way that protects the employees.

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Threat Assessment Team Members

• Typically include
• Management
• Employee Relations
• Employee Assistance Program
• Law Enforcement, and/or Security

• May also include representatives from
• Civil Rights/EEO
• Safety and Health Management Office
• Unions, where applicable
• Office of the General Counsel
• Office of Inspector General
• Conflict Resolution Office

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Emergency Plans

• The plan should be specific to the type of
  facility, building, and the workers it covers,
  and should describe

• Calling for help
• Calling for medical assistance
• Emergency escape procedures routes
• Safe places to escape
• Accounting for all employees when evacuating
• Procedures to secure the work area where the
  incident took place
• Procedures for accounting for all employees
• Training educating employees
• Procedures for regularly evaluating updating
  plan
• Procedures for debriefing participants

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Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR)

• Designed to help parties resolve conflicts with a
  neutral third party.
• Some ADR processes include facilitation,
  conciliation, mediation, and ombudsperson
  programs.

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Mediator

• Trained in listening and communicating
• Can defuse tensions, and clear up
  misunderstandings
• Creates a safe setting for open communication
• Provides for improved relations and
  communications for the future

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Ombudsperson

• Eyes and ears of the highest level of an
  organization
• Listens, investigates, and recommends solutions
  to problems
• Listens to complaints or grievances about the
  organization

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Considerations for Using ADR

• Parties are so committed to their views that
  progress is stuck
• Communication styles between disputing parties
  require third-party assistance
• You want to resolve a dispute but do not want to
  file a formal complaint
• You want to resolve your conflict quickly

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• ADR may not be appropriate when the parties are
  so hostile toward each other that sitting down
  together might be unsafe.

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Employee Assistance Program(EAP)

• Each agency has a confidential EAP with trained
  counselors who can address workplace stress and
  violence issues.
• EAP is also required to help employees deal with
  alcoholism or drug abuse and other problems, such
  as, marital or financial.

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Identifying PotentiallyViolent Signs

• Intimidating
• Harassing
• Bullying
• Numerous conflicts with customers, co-workers, or
  supervisors
• Substance abuse
• Statements contemplating suicide

• Belligerent
• Aggressive behavior
• Carrying a weapon
• Inappropriate references to guns or threats
• Extreme changes in normal behaviors

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If you notice violent signs,you should

• If you are a co-worker notify the employees
  supervisor
• If it is a customer notify your supervisor
• If it is your subordinate evaluate the situation
  by taking into consideration what may be causing
  the problems
• If it is your supervisor notify that persons
  manager

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External Threats

• Employees should be aware of external threats
  from organizations or the public. The following
  are some types of external threats
• Domestic Terrorist Groups
• Special Interest Groups
• General Public
• Permittees/Contractors

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• It is very important to respond appropriately,
  i.e., not to overreact but also not to ignore a
  situation.

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Responding to Violent Incidents

• Occupant Emergency Plan
• Emergency Response Team
• Plans and Procedures for Recovering From a
  Workplace Violence Emergency
• Evaluation

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Occupant Emergency Plan

• Refer to the phone numbers of security, police,
  and medical service in your facility occupant
  emergency plan
• If you do not have a copy of the plan for your
  facility contact your supervisor

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Emergency Response Team

• Their purpose is to deal with the actual violent
  situation and its aftermath as well as to take
  steps to prevent similar future occurrences.

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Plans and Proceduresfor Recovering

• Agencies must be prepared to
• Deal with the situation
• Help in the healing process
• Get the workforce back to productivity
• Employees experience three stages of crisis
  reactions

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Stage OneEmotional Reactions

• Shock
• Disbelief
• Denial
• Numbness

• Increasing heart rate
• Perceptual senses become heightened or distorted
• Adrenaline levels increase

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Stage TwoImpact stage

• Anger
• Rage
• Fear
• Terror
• Depression
• Withdrawal

• Grief
• Sorrow
• Confusion
• Helplessness
• Guilt

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Stage ThreeReconciliation stage

• Employee tried to make sense out of the event
• Understand its impact
• Through trial and error, reach closure of the
  event so it doesnt interfere with his or her
  ability to function and grow
• Long-term process

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Evaluation

• Determine if everything was done that could have
  been done
• What can be done to prevent it from happening
  again
• Threat assessment and emergency response teams
  should be part of this process.

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Disclosure of Information

• Threat Assessment Team
• Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
• Dealing With the Media

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Threat Assessment Team

• Information will be released to individuals
  needing the information in order to conduct an
  appropriate investigation into the situation,
  protect agency personnel, or confront the person
  making the threat.

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Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

• This type of debriefing allows the employees a
  chance to
• Recover from severe stress
• Talk about what they have gone through
• Compare their reactions with those of others.

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Dealing With the Media

• Questions from the news media relating to
  incidents of workplace violence should be
  forwarded to the appropriate public affairs staff
  for your office.

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Conclusion

• For additional information regarding
  preventing workplace violence, please review REE
  Policy Procedure 122.1 found at the following
  website
• http//www.afm.ars.usda.gov/ppweb/

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