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Workplace Violence is on the Upswing, Say HR Leaders
by Kathy Gurchiek
Workplace violence has increased over the past two years despite federal statistics to the contrary, a majority of senior executives responsible for human resources or security say in an April 2005 survey.
In addition, more than half (58 percent) report that disgruntled employees have threatened senior managers in the past 12 months. But despite their view that workplace violence is a bigger problem today, only 15 percent of those companies have increased their spending to combat the problem, the Prince & Associates survey found.
Companies surveyed had annual sales ranging from $20 million to $480 million, and 63.3 percent had 300 to 500 employees; the rest had 500 to 900 employees. New York City-based Risk Control Strategies (RCS), a threat management firm specializing in workplace violence prevention, training and response, sponsored the survey.
Among the findings, 24 percent of those surveyed noted that senior managers had received in-person or e-mail threats, 17 percent said employees had intentionally and maliciously downloaded computer viruses, and 10 percent said they were victims of product tampering.
Such mayhem can take a financial as well as a physical and an emotional toll.
Business interruption, product tampering, security consulting, employee consulting, legal liability and brand erosion add up, according to the press release, which notes that costs linked to workplace violence rose from $4.2 billion in 1992 to $36 billion in 1995. An estimated $121 billion was attributed to workplace violence in 2002, according to statistics RCS cited from Jane’s Information Group.
Workplace violence is defined as violent acts, including physical assaults and threats of assault, directed toward employees at work or on duty, according to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/traumaviolence.html
But while respondents perceived an increase in violence at their workplaces from two years ago, such violence—including assaults and suicides—accounted for only 16 percent of all work-related fatal occupational injuries in 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (
BLS
).
“Homicides are perennially among the top three causes of workplace fatalities for all workers,”
BLS
reports. It says that robberies, “not crimes of passion committed by disgruntled co-workers and spouses,” are the cause of the majority of these incidents.
Overall, work-related homicides have decreased 42 percent from 1994 to 2003,” it reports.
“Non-fatal assaults and violent acts by persons accounted for less than 2 percent of all non-fatal injuries and illnesses in private industry in 2002; however there were still almost 18,000 incidents of this nature resulting in time away from work.”
Blame it on the economy.
Among the 82 percent of those surveyed by Prince & Associates who say violence is increasing in their organizations, the blame is placed on an overall softening of the economy, increased outsourcing, downsizing, wage garnishments, salary reductions and the perception that raises or bonuses are insufficient.
“Economic conditions are often the motivating factor for employees to retaliate against senior management,” RCS President Paul Viollis, Ph.D., said in the press release.
Salary reductions or wage garnishments are a contributing factor, 64 percent of respondents said, and RCS predicts that the new Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, ( http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.685: ) which restricts consumers’ ability to file for bankruptcy, could increase the number of wage garnishments.
Another consideration is a company’s policy on issues impacting workplace violence, RCS noted in the release, pointing out that only 20 percent of companies have a policy against guns in the workplace. ( http://www.shrm.org/hrresources/lrpt_published/
CMS
_000962.asp)
The survey found that only 11.5 percent of HR managers have been trained to manage at-risk terminations and that 2 percent have trained employees to recognize and respond to warning signs of impending violence, the release said.
“Leveling verbal threats is one of the first signs that violence is imminent,” RCS Executive Vice President Doug Kane said in the release. “Red flags such as these make workplace violence completely foreseeable and preventable.”
It is clear from the survey that companies need to devote more attention, personnel and resources to the issue, Johnny Lee, founder and director of Peace at Work in
North Carolina
, told HR News.
Companies too often stay in a reaction mode, giving the issue attention only after a close call at their facility or at a nearby organization, he observed, adding that violent acts can come from strangers and clients and as an outgrowth of domestic violence as well as from employees.
“Do you have a policy, do you have a crisis management and report team, do you train your employees” to recognize the warnings signs of workplace violence? All of these are questions HR professionals should ask, he said.
In addition, it is important that employees know they have their organizations’ support so they do not fear retaliation if they report concerns about potential workplace violence, he said.
But it is how companies treat their employees when bad news hits that can be a major factor in mitigating workplace violence, he said. While economic factors may create the situation, he noted, violence is acted out from issues of respect and control. “People do not shoot their boss because they lost their job or money; it is issues of respect, of control and their own sense of injustice,” he said.
That’s where being sensitive to employees can make a difference when delivering bad news.
“It’s how you lay someone off,” he said. “It’s how you handle the wage garnishing” that can affect how an employee handles the news.
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WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION POLICY
I. OBJECTIVE
ABC Company is committed to preventing workplace violence and to maintaining a safe work environment. Given the increasing violence in society in general, ABC Company has adopted the following guidelines to deal with intimidation, harassment, or other threats of (or actual) violence that may occur during business hours or on its premises.
II. SCOPE OF POLICY
All full-time and part-time, active employees are covered under this policy.
III
. PROCEDURES
All employees, including supervisors and temporary employees, should be treated with courtesy and respect at all times. Employees are expected to refrain from fighting, "horseplay," or other conduct that may be dangerous to others. Firearms, weapons, and other dangerous or hazardous devices or substances are prohibited from the premises of ABC Company without proper authorization.
Conduct that threatens, intimidates, or coerces another employee, a customer, or a member of the public will not be tolerated. This prohibition includes all acts of harassment, including harassment that is based on an individual's sex, race, age, or any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
All threats of (or actual) violence, both direct and indirect, should be reported as soon as possible to your immediate supervisor or any other member of management. This includes threats by employees, as well as threats by customers, vendors, solicitors, or other members of the public. When reporting a threat of violence, the employee should be as specific and detailed as possible.
All suspicious individuals or activities should also be reported as soon as possible to a supervisor. Do not place yourself in peril. If you see or hear a commotion or disturbance near your workstation, do not try to intercede or see what is happening. ABC Company will promptly and thoroughly investigate all reports of threats of (or actual) violence and of suspicious individuals or activities. The identity of the ABC Company individual making a report will be protected as much as is practical. In order to maintain workplace safety and the integrity of its investigation, ABC Company may suspend employees, either with or without pay, pending investigation.
Anyone determined to be responsible for threats of (or actual) violence or other conduct that is in violation of these guidelines will be subject to prompt disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
ABC Company encourages employees to bring their disputes or differences with other employees to the attention of their supervisors or the Human Resources Department before the situation escalates into potential violence. ABC Company is eager to assist in the resolution of employee disputes, and will not discipline employees for raising such concerns.
(Reprinted from SHRM, HR News)
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