The Emerging Threat to Professionalism

Have you ever been caught sight of offensive behavior through vindictive, cruel, malicious or humiliating attempts to undermine an individual or groups of employees through activities such as:

- Shouting at staff to get things done;

- Insisting his/her way of doing things;

- Refusing to delegate because the he/she feels no one else can be trusted;

- Punishing others by constant criticism or by removing their responsibilities for being too competent.

In today’s world, workplace violence has become a major Challenge for Security professionals. It has devastating effects on businesses, both financially and in loss of lives. Thousands of employees are facing workplace violence, either?physical or psychological. This?includes injury, threats, harassment, intimidation and aggressive or hostile behaviors.

Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) defines workplace violence as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site.” OSHA estimates that about 2 million workers report violent workplace incidents each year in the US only.?

Preventive Measures –?The most effective means of preventing workplace violence is detecting early warning signs in terms of behavioral, emotional, and psychological aspects. Violence risk assessment helps differentiate between individuals who pose a threat and those who solely make threats. To identify the potential aggressors, the following warning signs may be contemplated:?

1.????Prior history of Violence – Involvement in previous incidents?

2.????Domestic Situation???- Domestic dispute or family turmoil?

3.????Suspicious behavior and indicators?

4.????Financial stress – bankruptcies or heavy debt load?

5.????Disgruntled employees?

6.????Mental Disorders?

7.????Drug or alcohol abuse?

The following factors matter most while considering Combating Workplace Violence –?

1.????Are the employees working alone at a remote location or at night?

2.????Do employees handle cash or other valuable assets?

3.????Do employees deal with the general public??

4.????Is the workplace in a high crime area?

5.????Is the business targeted for terrorism, animal rights or human rights?

6.????Is this workplace known for high stress, threatening behavior?

7.????What physical security is currently in place (e.g.??access control, CCTV)?

Mitigation Measures –?Workplace violence mitigation can be achieved through policy and procedure, training and education, and productive use of technology. For this we need to identify -?what awareness training to provide and to whom. How often the training to be repeated and updated based on the changes in policies, physical elements or risk factors. Workplace violence awareness training for employees should cover following –?

1.????The issues of workplace violence?

2.????Supervisor/Manager’s role in identification of violence?

3.????Ways to de- escalate or diffuse violent behavior?

4.????Recognition of behavior clues?

5.????Conflict resolution?

6.????Communication skills

7.????Personal security option?

8.????Employees’ assistance program?

9.????Various cycle of anger and managing anger

10. Crisis Management?

11. High – risk termination?

12. Security procedures

13. Emergency procedures related to violent incident?

Within a company, many departments need to coordinate their efforts to combat workplace violence. At the same time, Security can also play an important role in alleviating fear and providing support to employees. Security has evolved from the model of relying on gates, guards, and guns. So, it’s important to adopt latest security technology and update procedures periodically to mitigate work place violence risk effectively.?

Violence causes immediate and often long-term disruption to interpersonal relationships and the overall working environment. Employers bear the direct cost of lost work and Indirect costs which include reduced efficiency and productivity, loss in product quality, loss of company reputation and a reduction in the number of customer .Everyone plays a role in preventing violence through observation, communication, reporting and being proactive through initiatives, planning, exercising, and mitigating measures.?

Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.”-?Nelson Mandela