Our Human Resources Blog

  Recently a dishwasher for a restaurant in Buffalo, NY open fired on his co-workers. The victims were a father and son. The father was the general manager of the restaurant. He was wounded. His son was killed.  In July of 2009, a mechanic for Penske Truck Rental in Atlanta was terminated from his job. He returned to his former place of employment last month and shot 5 people. Three of them were killed, 2 others remain in critical condition.

Workplace violence is a disturbing trend that appears to be on the rise. Many believe these horrific acts of violence can be blamed on the current economic environment? The downturn in the economy has caused many to lose their jobs, their homes and their savings.   Employees fortunate enough to survive layoffs have been faced with challenges related to reduced budgets and staff reductions. For some, these challenging economic times are enough to push them over the edge. Whatever the reasons - workplace violence is a growing concern for employers and employees a like.

Workplace violence takes many shapes and can vary in type from threats, intimidation & harassment to violence, physical assault and homicide.  Homicide, of course, is the most extreme form of violence and the most publicized.  No matter what the type of threat, it can happen in any organization and shouldn't be ignored.

So what should organizations be doing to address and promote workplace safety?  In many cases, investigators have reported that there were clear warning signs prior to workplace problems and violence that should have been noticed. Warning signs are important for employers to recognize, as they may signal that an employee is about to "lose it". Employees need a road map to identify the warning signs of a potential problem and techniques to diffuse them before they escalate. In addition to identifying potential problems, it's also critical to communicate to employees the importance of sharing any incidents or threats.  A "go to" person in the organization should be identified to communicate any problems.

Workplace violence is a very serious problem that employers need to identify, access, control and prevent. Organizations with both strong internal communications and supervisors who are trained to respond to inappropriate behavior are less likely to experience problems and will hopefully have healthier, safer workplaces.