Section 1
Introduction

Violence in the workplace can have devastating effects on the productivity of organizations and on the quality of life of employees. However, relatively few employers have established effective programs to combat this problem. Similarly, while the police role in combating workplace violence is increasing, few departments have modified their existing training, policies, or practices to reflect those changes. The purpose of this document is to provide employers and law enforcement with guidelines on the steps they should consider to help reduce certain workplace violence hazards.

The document focuses on violence committed by non-strangers (e.g., coworkers, bosses, clients, domestic partners) within a common worksite (e.g., factory, office, shop, construction site). It is important to note that many forms of workplace violence are not addressed, such as robbery, terrorism, and assaults while employees are working off-site. It is crucial that employers also take into consideration the possibility of those acts occurring and take action to minimize the hazards stemming from those crimes. Contact your local police department, insurance representative, OSHA office, security professional, or any of the applicable sources for more information on how to reduce those hazards.

The guidelines for employers and police departments are presented in separate sections. The law enforcement guidelines were developed with input from over 300 chiefs and command level officers representing large, medium, and small departments. The employer guidelines also reflect input from hundreds of subject matter experts and practitioners, including business owners; managers; supervisors; lawyers; and security, personnel, human resource, threat assessment, and employee assistance specialists.

The guidelines can be used as benchmarks for helping assess the state of an organization's current policies and practices. However, not every recommendation may be appropriate for all organizations. If a suggestion has not already been implemented, the reader should consider whether that recommendation (or some derivation of it) would be appropriate for their organization.

Case examples and other illustrative information have been included to help readers better understand the issues being addressed. In addition, a model policy on workplace violence is offered for possible use by organizations without existing policies.

Employers and police share a leadership responsibility in combating workplace violence. By working together, police and employers can be far more effective in this effort. In addition, this partnership may serve other common interests, such as l) improving the level of cooperation on community policing and business crime prevention efforts, and 2) increasing the extent to which employers and law enforcement share their resources. It is hoped that these guidelines will play a useful role in furthering this partnership.

Reasons for Establishing a Program

Some organizations may not see the need for creating a program to reduce the hazards of violence in the workplace, especially if they have never experienced an incident of violence. The following reasons are why it is important for all employers to consider the recommendations included in this document.

• Businesses are beginning to realize the high cost of just one violent incident.These costs can include medical and psychiatric care as well as potential liability suits, lost business and productivity, repairs and clean-up, higher insurance rates, consultants' fees, increased security measures and--most important of all--the death or injury of valued employees and coworkers.
• Threats and other violent, abusive behaviors are no longer being tolerated in the workplace.
• Executives, professionals, and administrative personnel are no longer immune to acts of violence in the workplace.
• Layoffs, increased workload, having to do more with less, and other unpopular changes in the work environment have been associated with increased risk for violence.
• Recent reports and surveys suggest that workplace violence impacts large numbers of employers and employees (see Impact of Workplace Violence for more details).
• Its the right thing to do. Employers have both a moral and a legal obligation to provide a safe workplace for their employees, clients and visitors (refer to Section 2, part IV).

These issues are spurring employers to develop plans for addressing workplace violence. When compared to the potential costs of an incident, these plans are a relatively inexpensive way to reduce the risk of violence and to minimize its impact.

The following case study illustrates how an organization, never before touched by violence, learned the value of being prepared for an incident.