GUEST COLUMN:

How to prevent violence in the workplace

Mon, Feb 20, 2017 (2 a.m.)

While you cannot accurately predict everyone who may present a risk of workplace violence, perhaps you can anticipate and head off some incidents. Many workplace violence episodes are related to nonwork issues and may include family or marital conflict, divorces and child custody disputes.

Rather than react to workplace violence, consider being proactive to stop these incidents before they occur.

• Pay attention if an employee is served with legal process. If a sheriff arrives to serve legal process on an employee, watch for more red flags. You may want to ask the employee if he or she desires counseling, although this may be an inflammatory move — you will be the best judge of that. Offer administrative leave if a cooling-off period is appropriate. If the employee storms off prior to an opportunity to meet with him or her, ensure that security staff are aware of the situation. If you receive any threats, call the police. Don’t wait for the irate employee to return. If necessary, retain a private armed security service.

Unfortunately, local law enforcement is often limited in how it can respond to threats and bad behavior. The prudent course may be to retain security until the situation has cooled.

• Request information from employees who seek protective orders. If an employee has requested a protective order against someone, ask for a photograph of the person. Provide the photo to on-site security, reception employees and management. If the individual arrives at your workplace for any reason, have the designated company representative approach the individual in a calm manner, isolate the individual in a designated area, and request that security respond to the situation.

• Recognize your responsibility. Once you ask or require employees to alert you to requests for restraining orders or concerns about domestic violence, you are taking on a duty to respond to this knowledge. A Missouri court recently found an employer liable because it was on notice of threats from an employee’s ex-boyfriend and offered to form ad hoc groups of employees to walk her to her car instead of using professional security. An incompetent or incomplete response to workplace violence concerns or to an active shooter may be used as evidence that you failed to meet your duty.

Travis Vance is of counsel at the law firm Fisher & Phillips’ office in Charlotte, N.C. A version of this column originally appeared at the Fisher & Phillips Workplace Safety and Health Law blog, which can be found at workplacesafetyandhealthlaw.com.

Back to top

Share