Workplace Violence Prevention for Your Business

In today’s society, incidents of workplace violence are unfortunately a topic of news or conversations across the country.  All businesses are vulnerable to workplace violence no matter how small or large.  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines workplace violence as violence or the threat of violence against workers that can occur at or outside the workplace and can  range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide-one of the leading causes of job related deaths.  OSHA reports that approximately two million workers are victims of workplace violence annually.  The impact of a workplace violence incident at a business can not only be deadly, but could destroy or damage employee morale, productivity and even the business itself.

Although there is no specific OSHA regulation that applies to violence in the workplace, under the General Duty Clause of OSHA, employers are required to provide their employees with a place of employment that is “free from recognizable hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to employees”.  Therefore OSHA has interpreted this to mean an employer that has experienced acts of violence, becomes aware of threats or intimidation or other potential indicators of workplace violence has an obligation to implement a workplace violence program.  In addition to OSHA’s interpretation, employers could face liability for not taking adequate steps to prevent workplace violence. Victims often sue their employer for not adequately investigating or taking proper action against threats of workplace violence.

In order to reduce the risks of workplace violence, employers should establish and implement a workplace violence prevention program that includes the following:

• Written policy and procedures that communicates “zero” or “no” tolerance toward workplace violence.
• Required training for all employees on early warning signs and “red flags” of behaviors that contribute to workplace violence and how they should respond and report.
• Reporting and tracking mechanisms to capture threats or concerns
• A Threat Assessment/Management Team trained to investigate and take appropriate action.

A comprehensive workplace violence prevention program can be an effective way for employers to educate and prepare their employees. Workplace violence can be prevented when employees have been properly trained and have an understanding of what constitutes an act of violence and how they should respond and report these acts.

Workplace Ethics

Ethics is defined as a system of moral principles that pertain to a group, whether it is cultural, religious or a place of business.  Workplace values can be defined as a code of conduct or expectations about the employee’s behavior or actions in the organization.

Values are the building blocks of any organization.  Workplace ethics include characteristics such as honesty, respect for others, dealing justly with individuals inside and outside of the company, a caring and considerate attitude, as well as good citizenship which includes a regard for the rights of others as well as a positive and enthusiastic attitude about work, and personal responsibility for one’s actions,

Employers must do their part to make ethical expectations clear and trust the employee to deliver.  They also recognize the importance of ethical behavior. The best leaders exhibit both their values and their ethics in their leadership style and actions.  True leadership involves exhibiting the company’s ethics and values in daily actions, whether they are in the workplace or not.

Company management must ensure the work place ethics policy is understood by the employees.  Exposure to multiple training methods over the course of a year has a significantly greater impact on favorable outcomes than does exposure to a single method. Some methods to impart a company’s workplace ethics policy to its workforce include:

• A company must have a written code of conduct for all the employees to know what is acceptable and what is unacceptable behavior.

• Regular discussions or seminars on the subject of business ethics and business etiquette should be presented to all levels of employees.

• Carry out role playing exercises by using real life situations to make the ethics training program interesting and encourage active participation.

A clear and concise workplace ethics policy will promote trust, ensure teamwork, and result in a more productive work environment.