INDUSTRY NEWS
Virginia Tech Tragedy Highlights Need for Workplace Violence Planning
As in the case of the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, perpetrators of workplace violence often show signs that they are inclined to commit such acts. With that in mind, employers serve themselves and their employees well by formulating a workplace violence prevention plan. Here are a few prevention pointers:
- Build a response team that includes members from HR, security and management. Make sure each member of the team knows their role and responsibilities in the event of an incident. Determine what is tolerable on-premises behavior, what will lead to removal and when it is appropriate to disable an employee and call the authorities.
- Watch for signs. Educate your employees to always report suspicious comments or behavior to HR, even if the threat seems idle. Watch for events that can trigger violent responses, such as being passed over for a promotion, marital strife and public embarrassment. Educate employees on how to recognize those signals.
- Defuse a potential crisis. Separate employees who constantly argue with one another. Give an angry employee time off to cool down. Most importantly, treat people with respect.
- Know the law. Your rights and responsibilities in a crisis vary depending on who is acting violently. Make sure your team is educated on the laws that will govern your response.
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(Source: http://www.csoonline.com)
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