According to OSHA, disgruntled employees, workplace bullies, active-shooter situations, illegal drug use, ex-spouses and dissatisfied clients can all be found in a random sampling of the two million people affected by workplace violence in the United States.

Workplace violence includes any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. And, of course, of the millions of reported cases, there are many more that go unreported.

From demeaning jokes to sexual innuendos to genuine fear of shots fired at work, hiring managers and their bosses need to understand these problems of human nature and know how to react. In my decades of experience with law enforcement and as a security entrepreneur, I’ve seen the evolution of workplace violence and management often does not know how to respond.

4 ways to handle on-the-job distress & disasters

1)  Inadequate use of hiring tools

Know who you’re hiring!  I can’t emphasize this enough; this is the age of information, yet potential employees often provide falsified or misleading details. With so many candidates and so much information available today, employers often overlook useful tools in a hurry-up effort to maintain productivity with a premature hire. There are many resources and practices such as using drug testing acknowledgment and consent forms; understanding fully employment and others laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, equal employment opportunity guidelines and military leave guidelines; and knowing how to ask revealing questions to applicants. 

2)  Workplace intimidation & cyberbullying

Bullying is not exclusive to the schoolyard; it can follow adults into the workplace and even home via email, texts and social media. The first and best thing employers can do is prevention, and you do that by creating a positive and fair company culture. Next, implement a zero tolerance policy for bullying; encourage employees to document and report bullying, and take those accusations seriously. Hold occasional staff meetings so that employees are taught to recognize signs of bullying and everyone is reminded of the zero tolerance policy.

3)  Gun violence

It can happen at what appear to be the most secure places in the world, and it can happen to the most innocent among us. We hear story after story about shootings in schools, military bases, movie theaters, parking lots and neighborhoods. Train managers to recognize and attempt to de-escalate the situation, which can include talking to the potential aggressor in an empathetic, non-judgmental way. Fail that, there are situations for which heroes are necessary.

4)  Violence against women

Homicide is the leading cause of death for women in the workplace according to OSHA. Of the 4,547 fatal workplace injuries that occurred in the United States in 2010, 506 were workplace homicides. Once again, this comes down to a zero tolerance policy for bullying and sexual harassment, applicable to all workers, patients, clients, visitors, contractors, and anyone else who may come in contact with company personnel, such as an ex-spouse. A well-designed on-site security protocol can significantly reduce the risk of severe violence.

Today’s guest contributor is Timothy Dimoff, CPP, founder and president of SACS Consulting & Investigative Services, Inc. A former award-winning narcotics detective and SWAT Team member, Tim reviews security problems and offers a path for conflict resolution and prevention to prevent workplace disasters.

Image source before quote added:  PhotoPin, Flickr, Jonno Witts Creative Commons