Don Greenwood was interviewed for an article for HRTools.com on Developing a Workplace Violence Plan:
Top 3 Things Your Workplace Violence Plan Should Contain
By: Jennifer Leahy | Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Perhaps everyone who works in your office gets along perfectly and there is never a cross word. Maybe all of your customers and suppliers are equally as delightful and would never harm anyone under any circumstance. Most companies aren’t so fortunate. Though, obviously, you hope to never experience a workplace violence incident, having a plan in place can help all involved best manage the situation.
Though plans will, and should, vary by industry, a comprehensive and effective plan will contain these three elements:
A policy statement. Without a clear policy it can be tough for employees to navigate the many possible instances that can fall under the umbrella of workplace violence. The policy statement should define what constitutes workplace violence – a benchmark for behavior and an organized framework as to how the company will deal with reports.
“Employees can’t trust the company if they have a willy-nilly way of dealing with it,” says Don Greenwood, president of Don Greenwood & Associates, Inc., a Houston-based security planning and risk assessment consulting firm.
For example, John Q. Employee is frustrated with his new supervisor, often mentioning that the company would be “better off if he was gone.” One day, during a break, he tells a few coworkers that one day he will bring his shotgun and “take care of the problem.”
How do the employees handle the situation? Do they alert management? If so, how do they go about it?
A policy statement notifies employees that specific behaviors will not be tolerated and that threats or harassment of any type are forbidden. It also provides a guide for reporting threats to management. Typically this process will involve management and human relations teams.
“Without a policy, all an employee has to do is look you in the eye and say “I didn’t understand, didn’t know this wasn’t allowed,’” says Greenwood.
A response plan. What happens after an employee reports a potential threat? Ideally a clear plan exists to guide managers and HR professionals. There are a wide range of outcomes available.
In the case of one employee bullying another, it may be as simple as a “this is unacceptable behavior and it cannot continue” discussion with the understanding that termination will occur if the behavior doesn’t stop. The situation may call for alerting authorities.
“It may be necessary for a 72-hour hold for psychiatric evaluation. Any policeman can do this,” says Greenwood.
The response plan helps provide an organized response to the situation, also serving as a defense against future cases of discrimination.
Training. It may only be for one hour, or even just a day. But employees who have been trained in the area of workplace violence are far better equipped to handle situations that arise. Whether it’s feeling more comfortable coming forward with information or knowing how to react during the shock of an active incident of violence, basic training for all employees and more extensive training for managers is critical. Not having a plan can create liabilities.
“Companies who have programs are in better standing to defend themselves in court [should a workplace violence incident occur],” says Greenwood.
