Avoiding Workplace Violence
As I began to research materials for this blog, it became
obvious that there are a lot of alarming statistics and horrible headlines
written about this subject. However, my intent is not to simply repeat all of
that in this month’s blog. Instead, I would like to provide some basic ideas
that will help you know how to identify and mitigate the potential of workplace
violence at your wash.
There are generally four categories that workplace violence
can fall into. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) lists them as follows:
·
Criminal intent where the perpetrator has no
legitimate relationship with the business or the employees. They are there
generally at the location to commit some type of crime and any subsequent
violence is incidental.
·
Customer/Client is normally when the aggressor
does have some relationship with the business and acts out in a violent manner
due to a situation brought about by a service related incident.
·
Worker-on-Worker where the hostile act is
committed by an employee, or past employee, often due to work related disputes
or stress related behavior.
·
Personal relationships are the last category and
are defined mostly as a person who has a direct relationship with the intended
victim.
A typical response after reading these categories may be to
decide it’s not your responsibility, or your place, to constantly observe and
evaluate the mentality of everyone at your wash. Many elect to ignore the
hazards associated with some, or all, of these situations. Unfortunately, that
may lead to your wash being the next headline.
The majority of the research for this blog agreed that the cause
of most violent events in the workplace is stress. The following are some
factors that may contribute to that hazard, along with some suggestions to
defuse a stressful episode (For the purposes of this blog, I have concentrated
on the third category of workplace violence: worker-on-worker):
·
Significant Change in Job Description- It
is important to be sure that the employee is qualified to perform the work
required for their new role. Training is also essential to be sure that employees
are comfortable with what is expected of them.
·
Downsizing- Communication during
downsizing is vital to keep the morale high and stress levels low. A lack of
updates can cause your employees to draw their own conclusions about what is
occurring. In these scenarios, employees tend to think of the worst case
scenario, which could be counterproductive to what you are trying to accomplish.
·
Poor Hiring Practices- Investigate the
State standards with regard to considering criminal background records as a
part of the hiring process. Background checks are now cost effective, easy to perform
and provide a wide scope of an employee’s history. At the very least, you
should be looking at references whenever possible.
·
A Lack of Procedures to Report Violent Incidents-
Without exception, every organization needs to have a violent incident reporting
policy in place. At a minimum, your policy should include a zero tolerance
policy with regard to workplace violence, naming the individuals assigned to
accept reporting responsibilities within the wash management team, written
acknowledgement that all threats are to be taken seriously and an outline of
workplace violence policies and procedures. These should include how to respond
to potential threats and how to involve all proper resources within the law
enforcement community.
·
Loss of a Job, Raises, or Promotions-
Resist an arbitrary approach to compensation. Proper documentation is vital to
making sure management is providing a fair and equitable policy for all
employees. The termination of any employee should be backed by sound reasoning
and a good paper trail. These procedures should be spelled out in your employee
manual and made available to all employees.
·
Money Problems- This falls into the
category of observation. Pay attention when an employee constantly asks for
advances, fails to pay back loans or complains to coworkers about unpaid bills.
These may be signs that they are having money problems.
·
Drug and Alcohol Abuse- This is another
observational concern. Look for signs of physical characteristics associated
with drug or alcohol abuse. Also note any changes in behavior that can be
attributed to controlled substances. Be sure to have a drug and alcohol abuse
policy in the employee manual.
·
Being Reprimanded in Front of Your Associates-
Being humiliated in front of your co-workers can be a huge stress builder. Any
criticism should take place in a private setting and be offered in the most
positive tactic possible.
·
Being Exposed to Bullying- A part of your
workplace violence manual should include a policy on bullying and include a
mission statement supporting zero tolerance. Look for signs of mental and
physical abuse.
·
Sexual Harassment- Once again, this needs
to be a part of your employee manual with a clear message outlining your
company’s position on this topic.
This is a short list and I’m sure you may have some of your
own ideas. The point is that any one of these could cause stress and trigger a
violent act. If you are an owner, or supervisor, it is important to consider
these potential hazards and the best practices for resolving them.
In the end, most of this comes down to observation. Employees
are the most important resource at your wash. To help keep them comfortable and
safe, controlling and preventing potential workplace violence is vital. Pay
attention to the aforementioned factors, train supervisors to spot unusual
behaviors, design and enforce a workplace violence policy and encourage open
communication with all your employees. As with all my blog posts, if you don’t
take action, nothing will happen. In this case, you may become the next
headline!
The link below had a lot of good information that may assist
you in developing a plan if you don’t have one currently in place:
Remember: A Safe Wash
Protects People and Profits!!
