Violent conduct within the workplace environment can be manifested in four different ways. In the first place, total strangers to the organization may intend to bring harm to employees within the organization. Secondly, customers or clients of the organization can also be a threat to the security of the organization. Thirdly, the violence may be exhibited from the very employees of the institution. Finally, all organizations face a threat of violence from outside persons who have a direct connection with one of its members or its workers and this threat could be in relation to a totally private dispute that could even be sorted outside the premises of the organization (Kerr, 2010).
Violence by Outside Persons
Violence by outside person essentially refers to violent conduct which is perpetuated by an individual who does not have any direct connection with the organization. Our Company has recently faced incidents of attempted burglary and robbery and in both instances the safety of employees has been at stake.
Policy Statement
The Company should adopt a strict policy that all persons visiting its premises possess a gate pass and their names and ID Numbers are recorded upon entrance. Also, the Company should recruit highly trained security officers to oversee security operations within the institution at all times. Managers and employees should at all times be on alert and have a working alarm system just in case such an unfortunate incident happens.
Summary of Training
A training that curbs this menace would majorly entail teaching all stakeholders of the Company about reporting suspicious people and activities within the compound. Also, all persons would be urged to always cooperate with the security personnel for their own safety (Connecticut, 1999).
Violence by Customers or Clients
At times persons who are genuinely expected to transact with the Company turn around to inflict violence on other persons within the organization. In our Company, such cases have been mostly witnessed where a trusted client is protesting about certain specifications of goods or the manner in which an employee is serving them.
Policy Statement
The Company should always endeavor to hire employees with outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to perfectly handle clients’ excessive demands. There should also be a training program for existing employees about how to interact with clients and customers. Employees and managers should always refer difficult cases to their superiors so as to avoid unnecessary altercations with clients (Brayerman, 1999).
Summary of Training
The employees and managers must be basically trained on anger management and basic psychological approaches to handling an aggressive client. They should also be trained on how to read the course of a conversation and when to classify a client as hostile and aggressive. Once they make this classification, they ought not to proceed arguing with the client but refer them to a superior employee.
Violence by employees
In our Company, there have also been incidents where employees fight in themselves over basic relational disputes. Most of such incidents stem out of personal disputes at the workplace, some conceived outside the Company.
Policy Statement
All employees should refrain from discussing their personal profiles like religion, politics or ethnicity at the workplace. Also, there should be occasional sessions when employees get to learn the importance of their diversity and appreciate each other. The managers and employees in senior positions should at all times not appear to be favoring a certain faction of employees and they should reprimand anyone who tries to bring disharmony in the Company (Lee, 2005).
Summary of Training
Ideally, employees should be trained to appreciate each other’s peculiarities and learn that they cannot be all the same. In addition to this, the training should focus on the fact that all employees are one team and they need each other for the prosperity of the Company. No matter the department in which one serves, all employees are of equal importance to the Company.
Violence by Outside Person who has direct connection with an employee
In most cases, private persons who have close relations with employees storm into the Company to inflict violence on other employees. This is majorly caused by employees creating a circle that entails outside players in their operations and when the relationship turns sour, the outside person expresses discomfiture violently.
Policy Statement
All employees should detach their private lives and transactions from the Company’s endeavors. As such, family disputes should always be resolved at home and should not involve any third parties in the Company. The managers should issue stern warnings to persons whose personal conflicts would eventually hamper the operations of the Company.
Summary of Training
All employees should be instructed on how to contain their personal challenges such that they do not spill over to the Company’s premises. Also, employees should be directed on how to alert security personnel about the potential disruption of peace at the company so that their personal connections can be prevented from entering the Company.
References
Braverman, M. (1999). Preventing workplace violence: A guide for employers and practitioners. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage.
Connecticut. (1999). Violence in the workplace: Policy and procedures manual for human resource professionals. Hartford, Conn.: Connecticut Dept. of Public Works, Risk Management Unit
Kerr, K. M. (2010). Workplace violence: Planning for prevention and response. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann
Lee, J. (2005). Addressing domestic violence in the workplace. Amherst, Mass: HRD Press.
