In the wake of high-profile examples of workplace violence — including the Dec. 2 shooting in San Bernardino and the shooting on live TV of two young journalists in August — Elizabeth Bille, associate general counsel for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), has some sobering news for employers: Identifying threats — and preparing for them — is not easy.
“One of the greatest challenges about identifying potential workplace violence is trying to balance fairness to the employee to not overreact and keeping their particular situations confidential, with the very real concerns of co-workers who may start fearing for their safety,” she said to NPR in a story broadcast in September; she was on air again last week with similar advice. “That is really the crux of the challenge here.”
Steps some employers are taking to prevent violence and limit their own liability include:
Review OSHA guidelines. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has safety guidelines for industries in health care and retailing, “where patients and customers are most likely to perpetrate workplace violence,” according to the NPR story. The guidelines include steps for hazard assessment and information on employers’ responsibilities and workers’ rights.
Create a workplace violence policy. These documents, which Bille said are becoming more common, outline prohibited conduct and steps for enforcement and investigation. If you have such a policy in place, it must be uniformly enforced, Bille cautioned, and you’ll have to outline what constitutes workplace violence (physical attacks vs. threats of attacks vs. jokes made in poor taste).
Bring in a third party. Companies specializing in threat assessments can come into your business and review your practices and business layout and provide training based on your specific worksite and location. Many local law enforcement officials offer a similar kind of training and review, at no cost.
SHRM has a detailed worksheet on how retailers can prevent workplace violence, with more information on all of the above measures. Read more.
