Violence In The Workplace

Presented by Great Lakes International Marine Training and Research Centre

Administration and Content

Course Administration
Instructor:

Format: Lecture / Discussion / Video

Course notes
Course mark is calculated as follows
Classroom participation
Attendance

Course length: 2 hours

Breaks / lunch / washrooms

Cell Phones
Administrative requirements

Course Content
Notes
PowerPoint presentation
Video clips
Quiz

Course Objectives
By the end of this course you will have fundamental
knowledge of:
Relevant definitions regarding violence in the workplace;
Causes and forms of violence in the workplace;
Relevant legislation;
Characteristics of violent offenders.

Introduction

Section Objective
By the end of this section you will have a
fundamental understanding of:

Definitions;
Common characteristics of violent incidents;
Forms of workplace violence;
Relevant statistics;
Persons at risk.

Definition

Any action, conduct, threat or gesture of a person

towards an employee in their work place that can
reasonably be expected to cause harm, injury or
illness to that employee.

Includes factors like bullying, teasing and other

aggressive behavior components of psychological
violence.

Bullying
Bullying is usually seen as acts or verbal comments
that could mentally hurt or isolate a person in the
workplace.
Bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a
pattern of hehaviour that is intended to intimidate,
offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or
group of people.

Examples

Spreading malicious rumors, gossip or innuendo that is not true

Excluding or isolating someone socially
Intimidating a person
Undermining or deliberately impeding a persons work
Physically abusing or threatening abuse
Removing areas of responsibilities without cause
Constantly changing work guidelines
Establishing impossible deadlines that will set up the individual to fail
Withholding necessary information or purposefully giving the wrong
information
Making jokes that are obviously offensive by spoken work or e-mail

Examples
Intruding on a persons privacy be pestering, spying or stalking
Assigning unreasonable duties or workload which are unfavorable
to one person (in a way that creates unnecessary pressure)
Under work creating a feeling of uselessness
Yelling or using profanity
Criticizing a person persistently or constantly
Belittling a persons opinions
Unwarranted (or undeserved) punishment
Blocking applications for training, leave or promotion
Tampering with a persons personal belongings or work
equipment

How Bullying Can Affect the Individual

Shock
Anger
Feelings of frustration and/or helplessness
Increased sense of vulnerability
Loss of confidence

How Bullying Can Affect the Individual

Physical symptoms such as:
Inability to sleep
Loss of appetite

Psychosomatic symptoms such as:

Stomach pains
Headaches

Panic or anxiety, especially about going to work

Family tension and stress
Inability to concentrate, and
Low morale and productivity

If you are being bullied:

FIRMLY tell the person that his or her behaviour is not
acceptable and ask them to stop. You can ask a supervisor
or union member to be with you when you approach the
person.
KEEP a factual journal or diary of daily event. Record:
The date, time and what happened in as much detail as
possible
The names of witnesses
The outcome of the event

Remember, it is not just the character of the incidents, but the

number, frequency , and especially the pattern that can
reveal the bullying or harassment.

If you are being bullied:

KEEP copies of any letters, memos, e-mails, etc.
received from the person
REPORT the harassment to the person identified in
your workplace policy, your supervisor, or a
delegated manager. If your concerns are minimized,
proceed to the next level of management.

Do Not:
DO NOT RETALIATE. You may end up looking like
the perpetrator and will most certainly cause
confusion for those responsible for evaluating and
responding to the situation.

General Tips
ENCOURAGE everyone at the workplace to act towards others in a
respectful and professional manner.
HAVE a workplace policy in place that includes a reporting system.
EDUCATE everyone that bullying is a serious matter.
TRY TO WORK OUT solutions before the situation gets serious or out

of control.
EDUCATE everyone about what is considered bullying, and whom they can go
to for help.
TREAT all complaints seriously and deal with complaints promptly and
confidentially.
TRAIN supervisors and managers in how to deal with complaints and potential
situations. Encourage them to address situations promptly whether or not a
formal complaint has been filed.
HAVE an impartial third party help with the resolution, if necessary.

Do Not:
DO NOT IGNORE any potential problems
DO NOT DELAY resolution. Act as soon as possible

Myths

It cant happen here!!!

It cant be prevented!!!

Historic Cases

Atlanta Day Trader

Columbine High School

Common Characteristics of Violent

Incidents Between Employees
Violence usually begins as a verbal dispute and almost always
involves people who know each other.
Disputes often appear to have relatively trivial causes.
The dispute pattern is usually not random and unique; rather, it
builds, intensifies and continues.
Eventual victims may behave in an irritating manner prior to a violent
incident. Frequently they misjudge their own ability to arouse
hostility in others, and are unaware that they are provoking a serious
response to their behavior.

Aggressors and Victims

According to the US Department of Justice:
Over 80% of aggressors are male over 30.
Only 3% are former employees.
20% - current employees.
Over two thirds of physical and verbal attacks come from strangers
or customers. (This is especially the case for male victims.)
Women are more likely to be attacked by someone they know. i.e.
domestic violence spilling over into the workplace is the fastest
growing category of workplace violence.
99% of aggressors display clear warning signs before acting.

What Is Workplace Violence?

Threatening behavior
Verbal or written threats
Direct threats
Conditional threats
Veiled threats

Harassment
Verbal abuse
Physical attacks

Who is at Risk?
Studies have shown that people with the following jobs are at an increased
risk of work place violence:

Contact with the public.

Exchange of money.

Delivery of passengers, goods and services.

Having a mobile workplace.

Working with unstable or volatile people.

Working alone or in small numbers.

Working late at night or during early morning hours.

Guarding valuable property or possessions.

Working in community based settings (i.e. home care).

Workplace Violence Can Be Caused By:

Fellow employees

Patients

Supervisors

Students

Managers

Members of the public

Customers

Unauthorized intruders

Clients

Outside contacts

Forms of Workplace Violence

Rumors

Pushing

Swearing

Theft

Verbal abuse

Physical assaults

Pranks

Psychological trauma

Arguments

Anger-related accidents

Property damage

Sexual assault

Vandalism

Arson

Sabotage

Murder

Legislation

Section Objective

By the end of this section you will have a fundamental

understanding of:

Legislative requirements of Part XX of the

Canada Labour Code.

Informed Workers The Right to Know

Workers have the right to know all risks and safe

work procedures associated with the job.

Workplace Violence Prevention

Programs

Section Objective
By the end of this section you will have a
fundamental understanding of:
Goals of a violence prevention program;

Policies;
Assessments;
Preventive measures.

Violence Prevention Program

Basic components:
Policy
Hazard identification
Assessment
Controls
Investigation
Training

In the Event of an Incident / Event

Report the incident

Established Policies and

Procedures
Company policies and procedures.

In Summary
1.

Assess your work environment;

2.

Pay attention to the warning signs;

3.

Promote respect;

4.

Eliminate potential weapons;

5.

Know your procedures;

6.

Trust your instincts.

Conclusion

There is potential for workplace violence in every

workplace.
Thorough planning and implementation of a program
can create a safer workplace.

Any questions?
Take the quiz!