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SUBJECTS › PERSONNEL › 10 Steps for Preventing Violence in the Workplace
Ten Steps for Preventing Violence in the Workplace

10 Steps for Preventing Violence
in the Workplace

Prepared by Carlos Arauz, Human Resources Director, City of Phoenix, AZ

  1. Check references of all prospective employees.

    2. If you failed to adequately screen job applicants who later commit a violent act against your employees or customers, you may be held liable. It is essential that you make every effort to check references of employees, especially prior criminal records.

  2. Take action immediately, if an employee exhibits bizarre behavior.

    3. This may mean requiring the employee to be drug-tested based upon "reasonable suspicion," disciplining the employee up to and including termination, granting the employee a leave of absence and referring them for medical and psychiatric assistance.

  3. Before terminating a potentially violent employee, seek professional assistance.

    4. Do this so that the employee can be removed without disruption or the potential for violent confrontation. This may require you to use your security personnel and/or local law enforcement authorities.

  4. Develop a violence in the workplace crisis plan.

    5. Risks can be minimized by having a clearly defined crisis plan in place before an incident occurs. Involve both internal and external resources in the planning process, and make sure they are familiar with your organization, its culture and the physical layout of your facility.

  5. Make it known that threats of violence will not be tolerated. Requires a zero tolerance policy.

    6. Make employees aware through written handbooks and employee meetings that in the present workplace environment you will consider threats of violence the same as acts of violence. Employees who threaten other should be subject to discipline up to and including termination.

  6. Beware of workplace romances that have gone sour.

    7. Failed romantic relationships or love triangles involving co-workers can often lead to later charges of sexual harassment. Harassing conduct can be a prelude to violence.

  7. Develop a written policy of how to respond to security threats.

    8. The policy should assign responsibilities for managing and responding to security threats. The policy should outline how various levels of security threats will be responded to by management and the specific role of local law enforcement.

  8. Meet with local law enforcement for recommendations on improving security in your organization.

    9. Meet with them BEFORE a violent act occurs and find out how they have dealt with violent acts and what recommendations they would make for improving the security of your organization.

  9. Take all threats of violence seriously.

    10. If you become aware that any employee is being threatened, you have an obligation to act to protect the intended victim, at least during working hours. This may mean heightened security. You may ask that the threatened employee consider obtaining a legal order of protection or an injunction against the person and to include their work address on the document, to prevent them from entering your place of work or even being in the immediate vicinity of the workplace.

  10. Limit public access to work areas.

    11. Workplace violence has been committed against female employees by non-employees, estranged spouses and boyfriends because work was the one consistent place where they could gain access to their intended victim. Protect your employees by limiting access to the public.