Heed the Warning Signs of Workplace Violence

03/05/07

From the loading dock to the executive suite, more and more employees seem inclined to vent themselves violently. Here are some tips that may help you keep disgruntled workers from turning your company into a free-fire zone.

Profile High-Risk Employees
Workers who are most likely to commit mayhem tend to be white males in their late twenties to mid forties whose temperament or behavior patterns indicate violent tendencies. These include:

Belonging to paramilitary groups.

Boasting about a weapons collection or shooting prowess.

Preferring to work alone.

Avoiding contact with others.

Becoming disproportionately angry or taking offense at imagined slights.

Belittling others to compensate for low self-esteem or lack of power.

Claiming persecution by management, work rules, “the system,” “the man,” “big government,” or other forces or conspirators beyond their control.

Showing contempt for supervision.

Acting belligerent and uncooperative.

Turning hostile or uncommunicative if criticized or disciplined.

Beware of Trigger Events
Hindsight usually confirms that violent employees displayed a number of the above traits before they “went postal.” All that was missing was a catalyst or “trigger event” (no pun intended) to push them over the edge. Here’s a short list of such events—and ways you can defuse potential acts of violence:

Disciplinary actions. Supervisors should discuss pending disciplinary actions against high-risk employees with superiors before hand and obtain their feedback and support. They should also meet with errant workers privately. Never reprimand volatile people in front of their peers. Consider having a higher manager or HR representative attend the conference both as a witness and a potential moderator. Explain the offense thoroughly, citing the date, time, and other details. Criticize the behavior, not the person, and make policy the scapegoat for whatever penalties are applied.

Trouble at work. Aside from taking revenge for disciplinary actions, potentially violent employees may also make supervisors or colleagues targets of their wrath for other workplace troubles, too. These include being denied a raise, promotion, or overtime; having working hours or overtime reduced; losing a high-profile grievance; being given an undesirable work schedule, location, or job assignment; or being demoted, laid off, or fired. If you see disturbing changes in a worker’s conduct after any such event, keep a close eye on his behavior and be ready to act by involving other managers and preparing an action plan or referring him to your EAP or an outside agency for counseling.

Personal problems. Unresolved personal problems can sometimes preface acts of workplace violence as well. Supervisors should be sensitive to the moods and behavior of employees who are having major problems with personal or family relationships, finances, drug or alcohol abuse, or any combination thereof. Again, a referral to the Employee Assistance Program may do the trick. “People in situations similar to yours have had luck talking to one of our EAP counselors. Here’s the number. And it’s free…” In addition, maintain confidentiality no matter what you suspect.

An Ounce of Prevention…
Perhaps the most productive way to deal with potentially violent workers is to keep them off your payroll in the first place. Run background and reference checks as thoroughly as the law allows. Look for a history of threats or violence against former employers, family members, or other parties. Avoid applicants who become testy when asked critical or challenging interview questions.

In addition, create a procedure for employees to report—anonymously—coworkers’ bizarre behavior, threats, or destructive acts against colleagues, customers, or inanimate objects.

Finally, handle terminations carefully. “If you think a person may turn violent,” says G.Neil corporate counsel Wendy Smith, “you may want to have company security present and ready to escort the person from the premises. You’ll also need to think about changing locks and computer passwords, and making arrangements to have the employee’s final check sent home so he has no reason to return to the premises.”