On January 7, 2010, a man with an assault rifle walked into a manufacturing plant in St. Louis and opened fire killing two people and wounding several others before taking his own life. The shooter was a disgruntled employee who had been with the company for twenty-three (23) years. The shooter was described by neighbors as a family man and a good guy.
Employers and employees often have the mentality that “it will not happen here.” More and more news stories are showing workplace violence can happen anywhere – including at your business or place of work. Statistics show that one out of six violent crimes occur in the workplace and that violence is the second leading cause of workplace deaths. Workplace violence is not just shootings at the job. It also includes threats, coercion, intimidation, harassment, robbery and many other examples.
Employers need to be aware of employee behavior especially in situations of layoffs and firings. Employers also need to have a plan of action when an employee exhibits bad behavior or when the employer becomes aware of conflict between two or more employees. Steps that employers can take range from Violence Prevention Programs to Employee Assistance Programs to policies on security, reporting of potential problems and how to document incidents/meetings with employees.
Each employer will have different risks so each employer will need different policies and procedures. The key for employers is to develop policies and procedures, follow the policies and procedures and continue to re-evaluate the policies and procedures on a timely basis. Having the policies and procedures will not guarantee that workplace violence will not happen to you or your company, but it can make you and/or your company better prepared.
Please contact the Employment Law attorneys at Bamberger if you’d like to discuss your policies and procedures in more detail.
Author: Chad M. Smith (bio)
Phone: 812.452.3597
email: csmith@bamberger.com
Tags: shootings, Violence Provention Programs, workplace violence