by Joy Dike, PhD

​A zero-tolerance policy towards workplace violence starts with having employees report violent or threatening behavior. Without this first step, no policy will be truly effective against workplace violence. 

How can you create an environment where employees will feel comfortable reporting threats?

1. Encourage employees to report violent or threatening behavior

This means creating an environment where employees feel comfortable reporting issues to their supervisors or up the management chain and don't feel alienated from management.

2. Make sure employees know where and how to report violent or threatening behavior

This means having a clear and specific method for employees to report issues. It may mean reporting through:

• normal management channels (if they are comfortable with their supervisors and/or the issue doesn't involve someone up the management chain)
• a designated office (if they're not comfortable going to a direct supervisor)
• a designated person 
• a suggestion box (in case the reporter wants to remain anonymous)
• a hotline number 

Within any or all of these channels, there needs to be a  clear and defined method of reporting. That may mean something as simple as a conversation or a form filled out. Whatever the method, document it.

3. Publicize the policy

A solid policy and method of reporting issues isn't effective if employees don't know about it. Publicizing your workplace violence policy could be as simple as: 

• posting it on a bulletin board
• including it in an employee newsletter
• including a notice distributed with paychecks

4. Make sure your employees know that you will take their report seriously

Your employees need to know that their concerns will be heard and that someone will follow up on the issue. A procedure whereby employees will be notified about how their report was addressed will go a long way towards building confidence in the system.


The first step in creating a zero-tolerance policy towards workplace violence is creating an atmosphere in which your employees feel comfortable reporting issues and feel like their voices will be heard. Click here to download our white paper about workplace violence.

by Joy Dike, PhD

We come across a vast array of office cultures. The ones that give rise to the most problems are those that lack an environment of communication, but at the same time cultivate an environment of fear of rejection or reprisals for speaking up. If you find that that is your institution, then the following is for you:

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has one overarching suggestion for reducing workplace violence hazards: "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 come in contact with company personnel."

There are many aspects that go in to a zero-tolerance policy, but it all starts with making sure employees report and log violent and threatening behaviors by coworkers. How can you kill your zero-tolerance policy before it even gets off the ground?

1. Make sure your employees feel scared of their supervisors. Double down and make sure they're also too afraid to report violent or threatening behavior up the normal management channels. 

2. Make sure your employees are alienated from management. You don't want employees feeling comfortable enough with management to bring their concerns forward.

3. Make sure your employees have no idea how to report violent or threatening behavior. Better yet, don't even set a policy for reporting violent or threatening behavior. If there's no policy, you won't get any reports and your job is done!

4. Make sure your employees are clear that no action will be taken if they report violent or threatening behavior. Try a paper shredder at the bottom of the suggestion box. That way reports won't even be seen let alone investigated. 

In all seriousness, employees need to have a clear picture about how and when to report violent or threatening behavior. No workplace violence policy will be effective if people don't know how to report threats. Come back in the next few days to learn some steps towards implementing a solid and effective zero-tolerance workplace violence policy.

by Joy Dike, PhD

"I'm so mad I could kill someone."

Have you ever heard someome say something like this at work? 

Listen, workplace violence is a serious issue, and threatening behavior in the workplace is not something to take lightly. The FBI indicates that there is no profile or litmus test that exists to demonstrate whether an employee might become violent. There are, however, some problem situations that may give rise to violence – personality conflicts between coworkers; mishandled termination or disciplinary action; weapons at the worksite; or drug or alcohol abuse at the worksite. Other risk factors are personal but spill over into the workplace – the breakup of a marriage or romantic relationship; family conflict; financial or legal problems; or emotional problems.
 
It is well documented that individuals rarely snap and engage in workplace violence without first exhibiting behaviors of concern. Knowing and reporting these behaviors of concern is just as important as understanding the problem situations and risk factors that often precede behaviors of concern. Such behaviors of concern could include depression, threats, menacing behavior, erratic behavior, aggressive outburst, offensive conversation, jokes referring to violence, increasing tardiness, increasing absenteeism, worsening relationships with coworkers, decreased productivity, homicidal comments, increasing belligerence, hypersensitivity to criticism, and verbal abuse. Of course any of these behaviors alone is not necessarily more suggestive of potential workplace violence, but many of these behaviors taken together should raise warning flags. 

Let's revisit the person who yelled, "I'm so mad I could kill someone!" Is this a threat that should be taken seriously? The answer really lies in the collective past behavior of the individual making the threat. Let's say this particular person has been increasingly tardy to work, has showed a marked decrease in productivity, and has regularly shown up to work disheveled. In this case, yes, this threat should be taken seriously. 

Having a risk management plan that incorporates workplace violence is an important part of keeping your employees, clients, and place of business safe. Make sure people understand what behavior your expect from them and how to detect erratic and threatening behavior.

by Joy Dike, PhD

Maybe you have solid policies and procedures in place for security. You may even have a dedicated security director and security staff onsite. In fact, you may even have daily communication from your security team. That gets you an A+ score in our books.

With what said, the question is how can you improve your security management?

In the legendary words of Spinal Tap, "Where can you go from there? What do you do if you need that extra push over the cliff? You put it up to eleven." 

Indeed. Let's work on ramping up your security plan to an 11. There's always room for improvement. 

How can you do this? The answer is by having an outside security consultant audit your plan, procedures, and policies on a regular basis. This may mean an annual audit, or it may mean an audit once every 3 years or every 5 years. Whatever your budget and schedule calls for, make a plan to have your program assessed on a consistent timetable.

Familiarity breeds complacency. Complacency breeds risk. Even if your security plan is A+ 10 out of 10, failing to evaluate the program regularly will lead to complacency, and eventually risk will creep back in. 

Pat yourself on the back for a job well done with solid security management, and then turn it up to 11 and have someone audit you.

by Joy Dike, PhD

To learn more about what it looks like to have a risk assessment done for a school, read this Education Sector Case Study.

by Joy Dike, PhD

​Children spend almost a third of their day at school on a school day. Add in sports and extra-curriculars for the older grades, and some students spend more than half of their waking hours at school on a school day. With schools being the primary place children spend their time, isn’t it crucial that these are safe places where parents, students, faculty, and staff feel secure and are prepared for possible emergencies?
 
Any child in school, right down to little ones in preschool, will have drilled a fire evacuation plan at some point in the school year. Fire evacuation plans are vital, but a school’s emergency plans should not stop there. The unfortunate fact is that youth violence and school violence are real features of today’s world. While active shooter events at schools like Sandy Hook, Columbine, Umpqua Community College, and Virginia Tech are routinely sensationalized by the new media, the truth is that school associated violent deaths are rare. With that said, school violence that includes things like threats, attacks, fighting, bullying, and weapons on campus is a serious issue that schools need to address and mitigate. And while school associated violent deaths are rare, it behooves school administrators to have an Emergency Action Plan in place for the unthinkable scenario that an active shooter does enter the school or campus. Schools should have an Emergency Action Plan that includes lockdown procedures, evacuation procedures, off-site mustering procedures, and emergency names and numbers. Most importantly, an Emergency Action Plan should be drilled regularly.

If you are a parent of a child in private school, ask your school's administration if there is an Emergency Action Plan in place. If your child is in a public school, you too have the right make your voice heard and advocate for a safer school. Don't assume an Emergency Action Plan is in place - ask about it and advocate for it on behalf of your children and their teachers.