Workplace Violence Prevention sends chills down the spines of most people who either are not familiar with the definition of workplace violence or whom dread the thought of such a horrific event be-falling their place of work or if caught in a public place. But the truth of the matter is that workplace violence prevention is not only about the horrific outcome of a disgruntled person, intimate relationship gone bad or public shooting spree. Workplace Violence in fact consists of low-level behavior and conduct that people resort to on their way towards exacting their vengeance.
It does not have to be horrific or “violent” but it can result in non-fatal acts of violence which are of an everyday workplace concern according to recent FBI and OSHA Data, than the actual horrific act of homicidal violence.
If you run scared and over-indulge in all the focus on Active Shooter or the disgruntled person with a gun on your property you might miss the value of workplace violence prevention in mitigating such an outcome. Over indulgence in the physical outcome might assume that workplaces are powder kegs of employees you hired who slipped through the cracks during your due diligence background screening. We are not dismissing the value of preparedness training as in the case of Active Shooter. Whether the perpetrator of a violent act is a student, employee or other organizational stakeholder the transition from non-violent behavior to thoughts of violence and then the actual act of violence can be detected.
During transition, the perpetrator goes through a process coined as the phases or stages of the Active Shooter. These phases or stages can be recognized. Having a Robust, Agile and Proactive (RAP) Violence Interdiction (VI) Workplace Violence Prevention Program will empower most workplaces to anticipate the problem by recognizing the warning signs, risk factors and contributing factors long before catastrophe strikes.
A comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention Program encourages and empowers organizations to collaborate and integrate resources more efficiently to proactively combat the threat of workplace violence. Through integration of resources collaboration enables the organization to recognize associated behaviors and conduct in preventing more aggressive behavior and avoiding a homicidal act. Those organizations who employ Robust, Agile and Proactive Leadership will be better armed to recognize and address potential problems and take proactive corrective actions to avert escalation and increasing hostilities. But first, we must stop denying the threat and the risk as a real and present danger. This is a common attitude observed emanating from the fact that most organizations feel the solution is termination. Those who decide to take the leap into Robust Agile Proactive Violence Interdiction Strategy quickly realize that the workplace is at every level empowered and in control of their situations through increased awareness.
Eventually Workplace Violence Prevention is everyone’s responsibility.
A comprehensive workplace violence prevention initiative can help identify the behavior and conduct of the non-violent offender as well who resorts to the following behavior in exacting their retaliatory vengeance. These behaviors are the response by those who can’t face their “perpetrators” or whom want to take it out on the organization for doing nothing. Remember, these are the non-violent types who are not predisposed to violence but who feel equally aggressive in seeking retaliation. Here are some of the recent behaviors uncovered during recent consulting projects involving low-level incidents of workplace violence.
- Downloading of viruses.
- E-mail and threatening correspondence.
- Sabotage and vandalism of personal and organizational property.
- Malicious product tampering.
- Systems sabotage.
- Theft or compromise of proprietary information
- Theft or sale of client lists and trade secrets.
- Civil claims of discrimination under Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO).
- Claims of false terminations.
You can anticipate some of these risks and exposures by being proactive. I thought this book provided by an associate might be of interest to you as part of your efforts to protect your organizations from potential threats posed by the non-violent offender against your computer systems. The book, “The Zealots Guide To Computer Security 2013” can be purchased On Amazon Now. This book on Network security practices and architecture for networks is easy to understand and it serves as a self-tutorial teaching you how to implement better network security measures. The author Brian Taylor is an expert in his field and someone who understands the threat posed by the disgruntled person as well. Remember! The Disgruntled Employee does not have to resort to physical violence or have the courage to commit the act of homicidal violence. However, this person can be devious, and creative in sabotaging systems, operations, vehicles, equipment and personal property. Vigilance is imperative with this perpetrator.
