Workplace Violence: Tough Times Means Increased Trouble For Companies Like Yours

By Jeffrey M. Miller

Experts have long agreed, and research has proven that violence, including violence in the workplace, increases dramatically during troubling times. The focus of this article is to recommend specific action that managers can take right now to make sure that their company and staff do not fall victim to the effects and financial impact of workplace violence.

It's no secret that human beings respond to stress in many ways. For some, escape and withdrawal are the norm, for others - an emotional breakdown which inhibits normal functioning and has the person either incapable of operating or has them running around in a frantic state. However, there is another group. This group responds to stress by lashing out at those elements that they see as being responsible for, or contributing to the state they are in.

Generally speaking, there are certain characteristics, traits, and signs that help to identify these personality types. Workplace violence and crisis management plans, as-well-as hiring procedures employed by human resources managers should have provisions for identifying, eliminating, and reducing this threat.

However, it is also true that many people have never encountered enough pressure to cause them o show the signs that professionals suggest you look for in protecting your company. An example of this exists within the healthcare industry. We understand that departments within a care facility - departments such as psychiatric services and the emergency room - lend themselves to unbalanced and aggression-prone individuals. We may not recognize though, that most of the assaults on medical professionals come, not from violence-prone individuals but, from patients, visitors, or family members responding to the stress of pain, grief, or even the chemical interactions of medications.

Regardless of the reason for the propensity towards violence, managers and administrators at all levels must understand and be prepared to handle the increases in violence in their workplaces that result during troubled economic times like these. Not doing so is not only irresponsible and negligent, but it's also dangerous. It's puts you, your employees, and your business itself at risk.

Action Steps To Take Right Now

Action Step #1 - Awareness

Understand clearly that violence can happen in any workplace, at any time. And it does.

You must recognize that "it's better to have the skills and training for handling violence and never need them, than to need them and not have them."

Action Step #2 - Identify and deal with incidents or threats of violence.

Even side comments that may seem on the surface to be nothing, can grow into something. Even if you don't take immediate, interventional action, observation over time in order to identify trends with the particular employee will allow you to respond out of a sense of concern rather than increased paranoia.

Action Step #3 - Hire a workplace violence consultant who can help you do more than plan.

Not all consultants are the same. When it comes to surviving a dangerous attack, you need more than an expert who has done his or her research, you need someone with real-world experience. Far too many managers and administrators trust their company's well-being to consultants and so-called exerts who have lots of ideas, but no time in the field doing what they propose. And when I comes to surviving a self-defense situation from someone who wants to beat, break, or kill you, the last thing you need is unproven theory.

Action Step #4 - Provide emergency response training, facility-wide.

There is no correlation between acts of violence and occupation, especially when it comes to tough times like these. However, there is a correlation between violence and the ability to control and deal with it.

What I mean is, the greater the likelihood that an attack can be neutralized, the less likely that one will be initiated. And, while many managers, administrators, and business owners believe that training will make their workplace more dangerous, the opposite is actually true.

Training can be as simple as teaching employees what to look for and how to avoid an attack, evade and attempted assault, and effectively escape from a dangerous environment, all the way to actual physically defending against weapon attacks, dealing with acts of terrorism while traveling, and more.

Leaders Lead With Strategic Vision and Purpose

There is enough stress, confusion, and feelings of overwhelm that people must deal with on a day-to-day basis. Add to this the increased pressure from tough economic times, and the uncertainty that some people will certainly experience due to rising prices, the possibility of job loss, and the inability to provide for one's self and family, and you have the potential for normal, average, peace-loving individuals to do things that even they never considered possible.

If your company does not have the necessary policies, procedures, and training in place for dealing with and neutralizing the threat of workplace violence already, you are already behind the times. I say this because the time to be prepared for is already upon us. But, it's not too late, if you take action now.

If you do have a workplace violence section within your crisis management and liability-control; systems and procedures, now is the time to make sure that it's not missing the crucial elements that will actual save people's lives during an actual incident. And, I'm not talking about the disciplinary and reporting sections.

Either way, take the position as the true leader who understands what must be done. Don't sit back and wait or hope for someone else to do it. The very fact that you're reading this article says a lot about what's important to you and what you're concerned about within the scope of your duties.

Remember that the part of your company's workplace violence and crisis management plan that will save you and your company from the personal, property, and public-image damage, as-well-as the financial loss that results from an incident, should be focused on managing the chaos that is at the heart of a violent event. No amount of logic, threat of punishment or disciplinary action will deter a person who has hit the point where they simply "don't care."

A true leader takes action. And the action required is to make sure that you and your facility are protected against the threat of workplace violence. Take action before an attacker does.

Managers, administrators, and business owners serious about making sure you're company is as safe as possible from the effects of workplace violence are invited to call WCI Consulting's international office in the US at (570) 988-2228 for a free initial telephone assessment.

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Jeffrey M. Miller is a former federal police officer, undercover investigator, private detective, and bodyguard. He has taught individuals, groups, organizations, and law enforcement and security personnel the critical, proven, and time-tested lessons for surviving a dangerous, real-world attack. Jeff is the founder of Warrior Concepts International, Inc., and the co-author of the upcoming book: "Workplace Violence In The Mental Health And General Healthcare System" For more information, visit: http://www.wcinternational.com

Workplace Violence In The Health Sector: An Administrator's Greatest Concern

By Jeffrey M. Miller


Of all the myths, false beliefs, and misinformation that's bandied around about workplace violence in the health sector and violence in the workplace in general, there is one that is causing more harm than good. I've found that, by and large, the greatest concern of administrators and managers is not that there is violence in their facility, but in handling those situations that cannot be prevented.

Over the past few years, the medical and healthcare sector has awakened to the fact that it has a serious problem with workplace violence. And, while it is true that some of these incidents do involve attacks from within the organization, in general the healthcare industry has one of the lowest rates of employee-initiated attacks in the form of physical violence.

However, statistics paint a very alarming picture when they show that the average nurse is assaulted on average about three times a year. In fact, in non-fatal workplace violence assaults, over two-thirds of all women attacked on the job, work in the healthcare or social services industries.

As a result, and rightly so, more and more facilities are instituting not only workplace violence prevention policies and plans, but also creating committees and boards to oversee the training and execution of these critical business elements. Unfortunately, these plans and policies have the same gaping hole as do most other plans across other industries. And this gap is present in spite of the fact that, right along with "zero tolerance" statements, banned weapons lists, and reporting policy suggestions, OSHA and other international safety organizations recommend that every company and facility have the missing element needed to fill this void.

What is this missing piece? Good question. In fact, it's the piece that will actually protect the target of aggression "during" an attack!

While every plan will have prevention elements, and the necessary procedures for reporting incidents and punishing offenders, almost all are missing the actual defensive tactics that will save a manager or coworker from being beaten, broken, or killed in a workplace violence attack. The most common reason for this lack of attention? Administrators are concerned that if employees know how to defend themselves, that they are more likely to lash out or cause excessive damage should something occur.

When in fact...the opposite is actually true.

Ask around your facility and identify those employees who have already, of their own accord, learned or are currently studying some form of self-defense or martial art. How many of these people exhibit the typical warning signs or characteristics of a potential threat?

In fact, people who feel that they can handle themselves in a dangerous situation are typically more calm under pressure, less likely to take offense or react to negative peer pressure, and will definitely cause less collateral damage than someone who panics and doesn't know what to do.

Administrator's should rethink their fears and concerns when it comes to providing workplace violence training in the areas of self-defense, attack evasion, and assault avoidance - all of which are suggested by OSHA as elements of a "complete" workplace violence plan. Don't take my word for it, either. You have access to all the scientific proof you need in your psychiatric and sociology department professionals.

If you want to make sure that your facility and employees are as safe as possible against the threat of workplace violence, I invite you to contact me through my international office in the US at (570) 988-2228 for your free initial assessment.

Jeffrey M. Miller is a former police officer, undercover investigator, private detective, and bodyguard, He is the founder of Warrior Concepts International, Inc., and a co-author of the upcoming book: "Workplace Violence In The Mental Health And General Healthcare System" For more information, visit WCI Consulting's workplace violence information site.

9 Most Common Myths About Workplace Violence That Put Your Company At Risk

by Jeffrey M. Miller

While we can't do much about what people believe, in general, about the world around them, we can take personal responsibility for what we believe ourselves - especially when our beliefs center around our own personal safety. This article explores the most common myths about workplace violence and how these unfounded beliefs actually serve to perpetuate and aggravate the problem of violence in the workplace.

Myth #1: Workplace violence incidents are rare.

Unfortunately, we can find ourselves living in a bubble of complacency. And, unless we're shaken out of our sleepwalking state by a terrifying news story, we tend to not notice less horrific things around us.

While it is true that the number of murders occurring from a workplace violence attack have lowered over the past few years, we shouldn't be limiting our focus to just homicide. In fact, according to OSHA, there are over 1 million reported incidents of assault each year, just in the United States alone. And, since it's estimated that only about half of all incidents are ever reported, that the total is closer to 2 million. And, this doesn't include the approximately 1,000 homicides and 51,000 sexual assaults!

Myth #2: It will never happen here.

I call this the "Ostrich Syndrome." You know, the belief that, "if I bury my head in the proverbial sand, I can make danger disappear." The truth is that workplace violence can happen in any business, at anytime, and anywhere. And, it does. In fact, I've consulted with executives, business owners, and employees from, not only the US, but also Canada, Germany, England, France, Japan, and Thailand. And...the story is the same: Today's workplaces are the most violent environments in which you can find yourself.

Myth #3: Postal employees have more to worry about than I do.

Unfortunately, due to a few incidents which occurred decades ago, the post office and it's employees have garnered a much undeserved reputation for violence. Even the phrase, "going postal," is still popular after nearly four decades of it's creation. The reality is that only about 3% of all incidents occur within all government agencies - combined!

In fact, post office employees, as with any government workers, are probably some of the "least" likely to encounter violence in the workplace. While occupations like nursing and other healthcare, teaching, and psychiatric counselors have some of the highest incidents.

Myth #4: Workplace violence is a guy thing and women shouldn't worry about it.

Murder is the number one cause of death for women killed on the job. And, as I said before, this is paled by the 13,000 rapes, 51,000 sexual assaults, and about 35% of the 600,000 simple assaults that occur in American workplaces every year. In other countries, like India, the Middle East, and the East, the percentages are even higher.

Men may perpetrate more of the attacks involving the use of guns, but women share the field almost equally when it comes to being the attacker and the victim. In addition, over 65% of all non-fatal workplace assaults occur in nursing homes, hospitals, residential care facilities, and other social service environments - places where women make up the vast majority of the work force.

Myth #5: Security guards and metal detectors will prevent workplace violence.

As a former police officer, I learned very quickly that security measures can do little to stop a determined perpetrator of a crime. It doesn't matter if we're talking about a burglar, a rapist, murderer, or even a terrorist - the newest threat to workplace safety.

In fact security guards and detection devices can do little more than cause an attacker to think more creatively. And, even if they do prevent the outsider from entering your company, they can do little to stop current or former employees, friends, family members and visitors that would have both knowledge of your facility, and a reason to be there in the first place.

Myth #6: The only cost we'll have to worry about is attorney fees.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to speak to my share of human resources managers, administrators, and executives about the need for a workplace violence prevention plan and crisis response training program in their facility. In that time, one of the most disturbing comments that I've ever heard was, "that's what our attorney's are for."

Not only can your attorney's, or the police for that matter, "not" take away the damage, injuries, death, and destruction that can occur, but their fees will be the least of your problems. The true cost of workplace violence incidents are estimated to be between 55 and 2 million US dollars every year. Costs associated with your company's recovery in the post-event aftermath include not only attorney's fees, but also lost work time, the effects of negative press and public image, property repairs, increased insurance premiums, and fines or judgments entered in favor of any plaintiffs suing you for liability. To give you an idea about just one of these areas, OSHA reports that American companies pay for over 1,700,000 sick days annually due to lost time resulting directly from violence in the workplace.

In many cases, the financial strain resulting from just one incident has put a company out of business for good.

Myth #7: He just "snapped." We can't prevent it because there are no warning signs.

Reports show that in 80% of all incidents of workplace violence, the assailant gave warning signs that went unheeded. In all of the programs that I teach, regardless of whether we're talking about basic self-defense, street survival for law enforcement professionals, or workplace violence prevention and defensive tactics, "awareness" heads the list and is the easiest and most successful means for surviving a workplace violence attack.

The reality is that Managers and employees alike can learn to anticipate, assess, and even manage the risk from internal causes by identifying, monitoring, and addressing employees who exhibit high-risk behaviors and characteristics before they can escalate into actual violence.

While not all situations can be prevented, and this is where a good, solid, self-defense and attack avoidance program comes in, early awareness and action can save property, lives, money, guilt and the embarrassment which can arise out of knowing that action "could" and "should" have been taken to prevent or minimize it.

Myth #8: We have insurance to cover the cost of damages.

Most workers and managers, as well as business owners wrongly believe that they are covered completely by whatever insurance coverage is in place to protect the company. When, in fact, supervisors, managers, and others in an authority or leadership position can be held personally responsible and sued in civil court for their actions or failure to act, and the conduct of others over which they had authority.

And, while most companies carry some sort of liability coverage, you may find that your insurance policy may have clauses that exclude damages from certain types of actions. Like hospitals, universities, and other open, "porous" entities, your company can be left holding the proverbial "bag" in the case of injuries, damages, or harm that comes to visitors, guests, and family members caught in the cross-fire of an event but who are not actually employees of your company.

Myth #9: We have a workplace violence prevention policy so we're safe.

In light of all the evidence, most companies still do not have workplace violence plans, policies, or training programs. I have found that those who do, are still missing critical elements from these plans and leaving themselves open to the same or greater liability issues that their plans were supposed to eliminate in the first place.

If you'd like to make sure you're company is as safe as possible from the effects of workplace violence, I recommend that you call me at my international office in the US at (570) 988-2228 for your free initial assessment.

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Jeffrey M. Miller is a former federal police officer, undercover investigator, private detective, and bodyguard. He is the founder of Warrior Concepts International, Inc., and the co-author of the upcoming book: "Workplace Violence In The Mental Health And General Healthcare System" For more information, visit: wcinternational.com