Employers Must Recognize Warning Signs of Potential Violence
Violence, unfortunately, is an unpleasant fact in this country. According to the FBI, in 2020, there were 538,203 violent-crime incidents, and 640,836 offenses reported in the United States by 9,991 law enforcement agencies that submitted National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data. Last year, the US posted the largest ever homicide increase in one year (up nearly 30% from 2019) since record keeping began in 1960even though other crimes such as robbery, rape, and property crimes decreased. Some studies have attributed this rise to racial injustice unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic.
All workplaces are miniature societies and may have the same problems or issues as US society, which includes the potential for its employees or even visitors, vendors, and customers, to commit violent acts. As the some of the instability and uncertainty brought about by the pandemic still linger, and the emotional scars from 2020 remain, people experiencing these stressors can have thoughts of hostility, resentment, or other negative feelings that may lead to these outbursts.
Employers believing that such an incident would never happen at their companies should think again. According to a recent Hartford Steam Boiler (HSB) survey, administered by Zogby Analytics, some 34% of small employers admitted to having at least one serious employee-related violent incident or threat, 31% think that workplace violence is increasing and 41% believe that the on-going stress of the COVID-19 pandemic will increase the number of these episodes.
For this reason, employers must be able to detect clues that an employee has the capability to commit a violent act, which is defined by OSHA as any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers and visitors. Below are some examples of these warning signs:
- Threatening – employee makes direct, veiled (not expressed clearly) or conditional threats of violence
- Intimidation and control tendencies – employee attempts to impose personal opinions on others and exhibits compulsive need to control situations, using physical or verbal intimidation.
- Argumentative, confrontational, and unreasonable – employee is difficult to please, is rarely happy about the work process or environment, overreacts to criticism, and holds grudges. The person argues bitterly, even after the slightest provocation, and may become animated (throwing objects, cursing, pounding fist…etc.). Does not follow or believe in company safety regulations, rules, or standards.
- Paranoid behaviors– employee thinks managers or other employees are out to get them and believes or supports baseless or discredited national conspiracy theories.
- Lacks Sense of Responsibility-employee refuses to take responsibility for faults, mistakes, or unacceptable behaviors but instead blames others or the company’s processes or organization.
- Anti-Social behaviors- employee has an attraction to and fascination with guns, gun-violence incidents, executions and shooting rampages. This person also believes violent behavior is an acceptable means to redress grievances.
- Erratic behaviors – employee frequently is late for work or absent, may become disoriented and unable to concentrate on tasks, and may exhibit signs of alcohol and or drug abuse such as slurred speech and jittery behavior. Employee may go missing from their workstation for extended periods of time.
Employers, safety managers, supervisors, and workers should take any combination of the above behavioral patterns as a warning sign that a troubled, potentially violent, person is in their midst. According to OSHA, one of the best protections employers can offer their workers is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. This policy should cover all workers, patients, clients, visitors, contractors, and anyone else who may encounter company personnel. Guidelines and tips for creating such a program may be found at https://www.osha.gov/workplace-violence/prevention-programs
An intervention by counseling or mental health professionals is always an option via the company Human Resources (HR) department. Although reluctance and hesitancy are normal when considering this step, it is the best policy to err on the side of caution if an employee displays any combination of these behavioral warning signs. All too often it seems in the aftermath of a violent incident that witnesses admit that they had noticed strange behavior by the perpetrator but did not voice their concerns to the authorities in time to prevent the tragedy. Company policy, therefore, should advocate for mental health and violence prevention to foster a “safe and healthful workplace”.
Please direct any questions or concerns to:
The Safety Division at Hamond Safety Management
Anthony Vacchio, [email protected]