The tragic deaths of employees shot by a coworker at a San Francisco UPS facility last week is a grim reminder that employers must be proactive in preventing workplace violence and responding if violence erupts on company property.
According to an FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin entitled "Workplace Violence Prevention: Readiness and Response," employers should take a three-pronged approach in their attempts to deal with workplace violence issues.
- Develop programs focused on the prevention of workplace violence incidents: Employees should be educated on how to recognize behaviors of concern in other workers, and assess the frequency, duration and intensity of these behaviors. Employees should be provided with tools and resources to address behavioral and mood changes, including referrals to Employee Assistance Programs.
- Develop plans for intervention to prevent workplace violence: Engaging in intervention may include checking in with an individual who may seem troubled and allowing them to vent, and/or immediately reporting concerns of possible workplace violence to company leadership as soon as they come up. Employees should be trained on when each action is appropriate, and should understand that reporting concerns is of critical importance because "awareness + action = prevention." The FBI Bulletin notes that it is not uncommon for employees to comment, after a workplace violence incident, that they "knew something was off" but failed to report it.
- Prepare employees to survive violence in the workplace: Companies should train employees on specific actions they can take if they find themselves in the middle of a situation involving workplace violence. Studies have shown that individuals who are trained on how to respond in cases of an active shooter, for example, are better prepared to survive the situation than those who are not. The FBI has numerous resources on active shooters that may be of use, including a video on surviving an active shooter event.
While most employers have policies prohibiting employees from engaging in workplace violence, far fewer have devoted the time and resources to developing concrete plans on preventing and responding to violence in the workplace. Prioritizing this work is critical to the safety of your employees and the customers you serve, however, and will go a long way toward assuaging employee anxiety and fear regarding these issues.