Workplace Violence Prevention

and Domestic Violence

in the Workplace
Training goals
– Define Workplace Violence (WPV) and Domestic
Violence in the Workplace
– Handout and review the policies and the change in
the law
– Explain Employer/Employee responsibilities
– Workplace practice controls
– What to do if confronted by WPV
– If WPV is reported, what happens?
Workplace Violence Definition

(Hand-out policy)
Definition
• Workplace violence is any physical assault or acts of aggressive
behavior occurring where a public employee performs any work-
related duty in the course of his or her employment including but not
limited to:
• (i) An attempt or threat, whether verbal or physical, to inflict physical
injury upon an employee;
• (ii) Any intentional display of force which would give an employee
reason to fear or expect bodily harm;
• (iii) Intentional and wrongful physical contact with a person without
his or her consent that entails some injury;
• (iv) Stalking an employee with the intent of causing fear of material
harm to the physical safety and health of such employee when such
stalking has arisen through and in the course of employment.
Workplace Violence Policy Statement:

• ESF is committed to providing a safe working

environment and will promptly respond to threats, acts of
violence, and acts of aggression that occur in the
workplace.
• ESF prohibits any act or threat of violence made in the
workplace. No person may engage in violent conduct or
make threats of violence, implied or direct, on ESF
facilities or in connection with College business. ESF
requires that any such threat or act be reported.
• No person, without legal authority, may carry, possess or
use any dangerous weapon on College property
• Any violation of this College policy will be met with the
strongest possible sanction appropriate for the
circumstance.
Employee responsibilities
• Ensure familiarity with College policies and
procedures relating to workplace violence
prevention
• Follow all policies and procedures
• Report incidents and new risks quickly
Employer responsibilities
• Assess risks of workplace violence
• Provide general training on WPVP to all
employees
• Monitor and document progress and incidents
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the program
Risk factors

Working late night or early morning hours;

Exchanging money with the public;

Working alone or in small numbers;

Uncontrolled access to the workplace; and

Areas of previous security problems.

 25
WA: Work Alone $: Money
WL: Work Late NA: Noisy Areas
RL: Remote Locations HA: Hot Areas
20 FO: Field Operation HCA: High Crime Areas
DI: Dangerous Items SC: Security Concerns
HC: Handle Complaints LW: Long Waits
Number of Respondents

UPA: Uncontrolled PA IT: Improperly Trained

15
DH: Dark Hallways
RS: Remote Stairwells
DF: Disputed Fines
10 OSV: Operate Students Veh.
LS: Lack of Security
JC: Judicial Cases
C: Complaints
AS:Academic Standards
5

SC
WA
WL

UPA
FO
DI

LS

C
RL

HC

NA
HA

LW
IT
DH
RS
DF

AS
HCA

JC
OSV
Practical tips on staying safe at work
Working late/early/alone or in small numbers
• Move car closer to building after hours
• Keep emergency numbers handy
• Lock office door when alone
• Tell someone where you are
• Keep cell phone charged, on and handy
• Get escort to car or use buddy system
• Lock car door when leaving
• Have car key ready
• Park under lights
Handling money
• Barrier between you and the customers
• Do not leave money visible to customers
• Do not keep large amounts on hand
Practical tips on staying safe at work

Safety outside
• Be aware – pay attention to surroundings
• Walk confidently
• Conceal valuables
Possible signs of distress
• Direct or veiled threats of harm
• Intimidating, belligerent, or other inappropriate
or aggressive behavior
• Numerous conflicts with supervisors and other
employees
• Bringing a weapon to the workplace,
brandishing a weapon in the workplace, making
inappropriate references to guns, or fascination
with weapons
Possible signs of distress – (Continued)

• Statements indicating desperation (over family,

financial, and other personal problems) to the
point of contemplating suicide.
• Drug/alcohol abuse.
• Extreme changes in behavior.

• 1Identifiedby the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, (Profiling
and Behavior Assessment Unit in Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for
Agency Planners by the United States Office of Personnel Management, Workforce
Relations, February 1998
Signs of distress in the classroom
• Extreme changes in behavior (Hand-out)
Signs of crisis
• Hostility, aggression, violence
• Garbled or slurred speech
• Loss of contact with reality
• Suicidal thoughts with plans or methods
• Homicidal thoughts

Call University Police 470-6666

Reducing the risks
• If threatened, call University police 470-6666
(use blue light phone) or 911
– Seek backup from a colleague
– Refer students to Student Counseling Service
– Report incidents with students to Dean of Student Life
and Experiential Learning 470-6658
– Report concerns to supervisor, HR, EAP
– Practice good active listening skills
– Behave in a calm, friendly, helpful manner
Defusing a threatening situation
• Stay calm
• Communicate respect
• Listen to understand
• Cooperate
• Aim for a plan
• Look after yourself
Recap
Employee Responsibilities under the Law
• If you witness or are a victim of workplace
violence, YOU MUST REPORT it to University
Police.
Employer responsibilities under the law

• Assess risks of workplace violence

• Provide general training on WPVP to all
employees
• Monitor and document progress and incidents
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the program
What happens once it’s reported?
• UPD will determine if a crime has been
committed. They will then contact HR office
• HR and/or UPD will conduct an investigation
• HR will contact the supervisor of the employee
who violated the WPV policy.
• Supervisor will address the behavior with the
employee
• HR will follow up with the victim to ensure the
case is settled to the satisfaction of the victim
and to ensure no retaliation
Questions?
Domestic Violence

Hand-out policy
Definition

• Domestic Violence: A pattern of coercive

tactics, which can include physical,
psychological, sexual, economic and emotional
abuse, perpetrated by one person against an
adult intimate partner, with the goal of
establishing and maintaining power and control
over the victim.
Domestic violence – who is affected?
Domestic violence happens between intimate
partners, who:
• Are married or were once married
• Are living together or lived together in the past
• Have children together
• Are dating or have dated in the past
Domestic violence victims are usually women, but
men can also be victims. It may happen in same-
sex and opposite-sex relationships
Important Facts You Should Know:

• A 2005 national survey found that 21% of full-time

employed adults were victims of domestic violence.1

• Domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of

paid work annually - the equivalent of more than 32,000
full-time jobs - as a result of domestic violence.
2

• Thirty-seven percent of women who experienced

domestic violence reported that the abuse had an impact
on their work in the form of lateness, missed work,
keeping a job, or career promotions.
3
Important Facts You Should Know:
(Continued)

• In one study of batterers, 41% had job performance

problems and 48 % had difficulty concentrating on the
job as a result of their abusive behaviors.
4

• At least one million women and 371,000 men are victims

of stalking in the U.S. each year. Stalkers often follow
the victim to the workplace.
5

• Employers who fail to protect employees from the results

of domestic violence at work may be liable. 6

• For more information view please refer to State and

Federal regulations, at
www.opdv.state.ny.us/professionals/workplace/laws.html
Sources

1.Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence. 2005 National Telephone Survey. Internet on-line. Available from
http://www.caepv.org/getinfo/facts_stats.php?factsec=3. (September 13, 2007).

2.Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention. October, 2006.

3.EDK Associates for The Body Shop. The Many Faces of Domestic Violence and Its Impact on the Workplace. New York. 1997.

4.Maine Department of Labor. Impact of Domestic Violence Offenders on Occupational Safety & Health A Pilot Study. 2004.

5.U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice. Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women.
November, 2000. NCJ-183781.

6.Burke, Donald. "When Employees are Vulnerable, Employers are, Too", National Law Journal, January 17, 2000.
Signs of domestic violence
• Visible injuries
• Illnesses – especially stress-related ones
• Problems related to other issues, eg family, alcohol,
drugs, mental health issues
• Poor work performance or employment history
• On-the-job harassment by the abuser

The only way to know is to ask. Try:

“Is anything happening at home that is causing difficulties?”
But be prepared to respond helpfully
Why doesn’t the victim leave?
• The victim feels powerless or inadequate
• The victim fears discovery – getting caught and punished
• The victim fears no-one will believe him/her
• The victim not sure where to go for help
• The victim doesn’t want to take her children away from their
home
• The victim fears disapproval or lack of support
• The victim feels ashamed
• The abuser may control all the financial resources
• The victim wants the abuse to stop, but doesn’t want the
relationship to end
And many, many more reasons
Where to get help (Hand-out)

• Local agencies
• Office of Human Resources
• EAP coordinators
• Union representatives
• College domestic violence contacts
Personnel Policies
Employees will be subject to disciplinary actions and
referral to appropriate authorities if they:
• Use College resources or time to abuse an intimate
partner
• Commit an act of domestic violence from or at the
workplace or from any location while on state business
• Use their job-related authority to abuse their victim, or
assist perpetrators of domestic violence in locating a
victim or in perpetrating an act of domestic violence
Employer Responsibilities
• Agency shall inform employees that New York
State law prohibits insurance companies and
health maintenance organizations from
discriminating against domestic violence victims.

• Agency shall offer domestic violence awareness

activities such as training and other health and
wellness programs.
Employer Responsibilities
• Referrals shall be made to domestic violence programs
located on the OPDV website at
http://www.opdv.state.ny.us/help/fss/resource.html.
Additional referrals may be made to best meet the needs
of the employee.

• Agency shall include information on domestic violence

awareness and services in written materials provided to
new employees and as part of new employee
orientation.
http://www.opdv.state.ny.us/help/fss/resource.html
Employer Responsibilities
The College will take appropriate consideration of domestic
violence in all aspects of a victim’s work situation,
including:
• Requests for leave, FMLA and sickness absence
• Appointment to a position
• Transfers/Promotions
• Disciplinary cases
• Location of work site
• Allocation of duties and responsibilities
• Termination or voluntary separation
• Workplace violence prevention measures
• Confidentiality of employee information
• Access to benefits
Questions?