20.1 Understanding work place violence
Many people automatically assume that violence means physical abuse, but this is not the case. In the working environment, abuse is a broader problem. This is where someone is threatened, assaulted, abused, or feels intimidated.
This may include a number of different behaviours:
Threatened. A person may feel threatened by an employee, client, or supervisor who destroys their property, throws objects in their office, or shakes their fists at them during conflict, for example. Written and verbal threats. An employee may feel threatened when they receive threats to inflict harm either written in an email or memo or expressed verbally. Harassed. A member of the team may feel harassed if they are embarrassed, humiliated, or verbally abused by someone. This includes bullying, gestures, and intimidation.
Verbal abuse relates to insults, condescending language, and swearing Physical attacks. The one you don't want to take place under any circumstances includes kicking, shoving, pushing, and hitting. Other forms of work place violence also relate to verbal abuse, searing, property damage, pranks, sabotage, theft, psychological trauma, rape, arson, physical assault, pushing, arson, arguments, and so much more, even including murder. Unfortunately, the work place is not restricted to incidents that only take place within the work place; this can take place at trade shows, conferences, social events, and even clients' homes.
Increasing the risk
The risk of work place violence is definitely increased based on processes, work factors, and interactions which may occur, including:
Carrying out inspections or enforcing duties. An example would be government employees. Handling money, prescription medication, and valuables. Examples include pharmacists and cashiers. Working in a mobile workplace, such as a taxi driver. Providing a service or advice. This could be a teacher or health care worker, for example. Working alone or in small numbers. Examples include store clerks, real estate agents. Working in community settings, such as social workers, home visitors, and nurses, forexample. Working in organisational change, working during downsizing of a company or strikes. Working where alcohol is served. Working with unstable persons, such as a social worker or prison guard. Working with the public. The risk can increase even further, based on when the person is working.
Examples include:
-During holiday seasonal
-Late at night and very early in the morning
-Pay days
-Performance appraisals
-Report cards and parent interviews
-Tax return seasonal
Geographic location may also increase the risk of work place violence. Those that work near bars and banks are at higher risk, along with those working in isolated areas.
Occupations at high risk of work place violence
There are particular occupations that are at higher risk of work place violence than others.
Some of these occupations are:
-Correctional services
-Health care employees
-Municipal housing inspectors
-Public works employees
-Retail employees
-Social services employees
-Teachers
Identifying potential risk
As a HR professional, it is your responsibility to ensure the safety of your employees at all times. This means that you need to identify work place violence risk to see how to handle each employee moving forward.
There are numerous ways you can identify the risk, including:
Speaking to existing employees on their experiences with work place violence and how they have protected themselves. Reviewing all incidents of work place violence in the past. Determining the risk factor of your particular work place. Conducting a visual inspection of the work place. You will need to evaluate the work place history of violence. You can do this by getting information from companies that you are associated with, and you can get advice from police in the area and review local publications that may provide insight into the latest trends.
Organise and review all the information you receive and collect. Look for trends and try to identify locations that are at the highest risk. Ensure you record all assaults to document for future reference and to handle quickly and effectively.
20.2 Preventative measures
It is imperative that you have an effective work place violence programme in place to show the HR commitment to protecting employees at all costs.
This is best communicated through a written policy, which needs to contain the following valuable information:
The policy is to be created by managers and employees collectively. The policy needs to apply to all managers, employees, contractors, clients, and anyone else who may have any relations with the company at any stage. Work place violence needs to be clearly defined in easy to understand language.
Examples of unacceptable behaviour need to be provided. All incidents must be reported and you need to encourage this at all times. Clearly state the company's views on violence and how it is committed to preventing violence in the work place at all times. Lay down the consequences of work place violence. Identify the process that will be followed to prevent work place violence.
Describe the process employees can use to report incidents in a confidential manner. Advise employees that they will be protected against any reprisals due to reporting. Write down the process that will be used to investigate and resolve the complaints received. Write down how the company is committed to providing support services to employees who fall victim to violence in the work place. Provide an effective employee assistance programme (EAP) to get help for personal problems.
Laws
There are work place laws which must be followed and cover work place violence. These include:
1. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSW). This act ensures employers have a legal duty to protect their employees as much as possible when it comes to health, safety, and welfare.
2. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. This ensures that employers must always focus on the employee risk and determine how to reduce and prevent these risks from happening during a management plan. 3. RIDDOR - Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013. This act legally requires all employers to enforce their authority should an accident take place in the work place. This includes physical violence. 4. Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations 1977(a) combined with Health and Safety Regulations 1996(b). This requires all employers to inform employees on all health and safety matters.
Helping the victim
Work place violence can be very traumatic and is something you need to deal with quickly and effectively to reduce the risk of long-term stress for any of the employees. Plan what support you will provide before incidents occur. This way, you are prepared in the event you are faced with a work place violence situation.
Some of the support you may want to provide includes, but is not limited to:
Debriefing with the victims and talking about their experience as soon as you can after the event. Verbal abuse is a just as serious as physical. The employee should feel calm and relaxed during this debriefing with confidence that they can talk openly about what has happened. Sometimes, offering an employee an amount of time off work can help them recover. Everyone reacts differently, so you will want to see if they require counselling or if they just need that bit of time to gather themselves and prepare to return to work. Provide legal assistance or seek legal assistance in the more serious cases. Don't forget the other employees. Guide and train employees to help them deal with these situations with ease and get the help they need as quickly as possible.
20.3 Bullying in the work place
Bullying is a form of harassment which is more common in the work place than you may realise. Employees may be intimidated or offended by another employee. This is an unlawful act which falls under the Equality Act of 2010.
Bullying includes the following:
-Refusing to provide training or promotional opportunities
-Picking on someone
-Spreading rumours
-Treating unfairly
-Undermining a competent worker
There are so many ways that bullying can take place. This is by phone, by email, face to face, or by letter. What you may not realise is that bullying is actually not against the law, but harassment is certainly an unlawful act.
This means that when behaviour relates to one of these, then it is considered as harassment:
-Age
-Disability
-Gender, including gender reassignment
-Pregnancy or maternity
-Race
-Religion
-Sex
-Sexual orientation
20.4 How employees should deal with bullying in the work place
You need to keep employees informed on what is seen as bullying and harassment and what they need to do if they feel they have been a victim. Ideally, they should approach their direct manager or the HR manager within the company. They may prefer to approach their trade union representative. This is done according to personal preference and who they feel most comfortable dealing with. Employees also need to be made aware that in the event that they are a victim of bullying or harassment and they don't feel that their complaint at work is being dealt with effectively, they can make a formal complaint via the employer grievance procedure. In the event this still doesn't work, then they will have to take legal action.
Responsibilities as an employer
An employer is responsible for preventing bullying at all times within the work place and they are responsible for any harassment that the employee may suffer. This means that the company needs an effective harassment and anti-bullying policy to reduce the risk of problems occurring now and in the future. HR departments should create booklets that can be given to employees during their orientation to ensure that they have the information on prevent, recognise, and deal with bullying and harassment.
Definitions
Bullying and harassment are both defined in Equality Act 2010. According to the ACAS in the United Kingdom, the definitions and characteristics are as follows:
Harassment is defined as “Unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for that individual.' “Bullying may be characterized as offensive, intimidating, malicious, or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate, or injure the recipient.'
20.5 Is someone being bullied?
Interestingly, while you may think it completely obvious whether someone is being bullied or not, it is not always so clear cut. In fact, a person may go for years being bullied and never realise it. Some notice straight away that they are not being treated fairly, some blame themselves. Bullying can leave a person feeling guilty, to blame for their situation, and useless in their position.
To identify if someone is being bullied, you will need to gather as much information as possible about their experience. This should include notes on how they felt, what happened, where it happened, and how it happened. The minute you believe the employee is being bullied, you need to report it and start the information and disciplinary process as set out in the bullying and harassment handbook which you would have given your employees during their orientation. When it comes to accusing someone of bullying an employee, you need to ensure you have all the
facts.
Remember, falsely accusing another employee can result in the company finding themselves in a very serious legal battle, one you don't want to find yourself in. The problem is that finding proof isn't always easy, especially as bullying is more of a psychological act. Unfortunately, those that are bullied in the work place will be forced to be involved in a
disciplinary procedure at some point. This will be based on how the company deals with these situations. Performance management procedures and disciplinary action are the best way for a HR department to manage bullying within the work place and manage the case effectively. This may or may not result in an employee being dismissed as a result.
Some ways to manage bullying in the work place include:
-Knowing before the procedure begins about each employee's performance. Have you noticed some subtle changes in the employees, maybe their performance, their attitude, how they interact with each other?
-Have you got copies of procedures, so that you and the employees know their rights in presenting their case?
Treating both employees with respect throughout the process. Asking questions and listening to answers to help understand the case in more detail.
People working in a situation where they are bullied often find themselves faced with certain procedures, including:
-They never realised that their performance was under investigation
-They are unaware they have done anything wrong
-They may find themselves suspended without reason
-They are not given the proper procedures to follow from the start
-They are treated badly and unfairly from the start
-They feel ignored
-They are given basic and minimal rights
One-off indiscretions don't often have a very long-lasting effect and are not always seen as bullying. But bad behaviour is focused on one particular person and when this is persistent, humiliating, and even threatening, it is important that the HR department gets involved to conduct a performance management procedure.
People who are bullied often feel:
Isolated
-They feel excluded from what is going on around them. They are not given ample information to complete the work and objectives set out
-They are not provided with the resources they need to complete the work. Management support isn't offered at any time
-They find themselves overloaded at work
-Responsibility increases but authority is removed
-They are ignored and overruled at every turn
Controlled
-They are not given a clear description of their duties
-They are given unrealistic goals
-They are criticized regularly
-They are made to feel guilty for things that are not their fault
-They are faced with ongoing monitoring and micro management
-The person is undermined in front of their colleagues and behind their back
-They are humiliated in front of others
-They are teased, humiliated, and embarrassed
-Treated differently and singled out
-Degraded, ridiculed, and patronised
-Work is stolen, plagiarised, and copied
-Denied annual leave when requested
-Forced to work longer hours
Eliminated
-Find themselves in disciplinary hearings after being asked to join a meeting or informal chat
-Face disciplinary action for false charges
-Faced with unjustified written warnings
-Not allowed representation in meetings
-Dismissed on false claims
-Forced to resign
20.6 Conflict resolution
Conflict is going to happen in the work place now and again; it is inevitable. People come from different backgrounds, they have different beliefs, and eventually this is going to play out in the working environment. You expect conflict at work now and again, personalities will clash, disagreements on how to carry out certain duties will lead to full blown arguments, and more. Conflict is usually a long-term problem which may include two individuals or it may include an entire team where members are forced to choose a side. Eventually, before you even realise what is going on, the entire office is forced into this volatile experience. When people are distressed at work, their performance will suffer. You expect this, which is why conflict at work must be dealt with as quickly, effectively, and efficiency as possible. This will help keep employee productivity levels high, reduce the risk of poor attendance, and ensure that everyone feels motivated and passionate about what they are doing now and moving forward.
FACT
A CPP study found that 70% of employees see conflict management as a 'very' or 'critically' important leadership skill
Source: wheniwork.com
20.7 Prevent work place arguments
There are numerous ways you can minimise the risk of conflict in the work place, especially that which will have an impact on the company moving forward.
Wise recruitment
When it comes to recruitment, you need to ensure you choose an applicant which is going to blend in with the existing team. The best way to ensure this is to get some team members to sit in on interviews and give them the chance to be part of the selection process.
Ensure communication lines are open
Ensure communication is strong within the company. Managers need to be approachable, enabling
employees to voice concerns openly and confidently.
Be fair at all times
In order to ensure that the risk of conflict is minimised at all times, you will want to be fair at all times, this means distributing working hours evenly, not letting some employees get away with things and then pulling others up on the same thing. All of this can lead to conflict moving forward.
Involve the employees in the resolution training
Keep employees updated by teaching them conflict resolution skills and help them help themselvesto reduce the risk of conflict taking place in the work place.
Set strategies
Implement a grievance policy. This ensures that managers remain in control of potentially serious conflict situations.
Set clear guidelines
It is important to not only set clear guidelines, but to ensure that employees are aware of them. This will help you manage conflict triggers effectively.
Set goals
It is important as part of the conflict resolution that you focus on the tasks to be accomplished rather than the people involved. Ensure employees are all working towards goals to reduce the risk of conflict at any time.
20.8 Resolution
Conflict is often associated with a negative situation. This may be destructive and, in turn, this can cause chaos in the work place. What you may not realise is that conflict doesn't have to be negative. A good conflict management procedure in place can come up with solutions to any problems, changing the construction of the situation.
Resolving conflict means improving the situation for everyone involved. Conflict resolution steps should include:
Identify the problem and the source of any conflict. Also identify the stage of the conflict. Enable both sides to share their story. This should be done in a meeting behind closed doors. Work through any differences by helping parties manage their perceptions and positions. Encourage them both to try to understand the other person's point of view.
Come up with solutions. You can find a resolution for each and every issue to ensure that both parties leave happy. Consider a compromise when all else fails. Conflict resolution should always be a win-win situation, which means that both parties need to acknowledge the problem and agree to move forward.
Always keep the lines of communication open to ensure that the parties meet on a regular basis to manage problems and eliminate the risk of conflict in the future. Follow up. Don't let sleeping dogs lie. Ensure you follow up to identify if further mediation is needed.
20.9 Conflict resolution techniques
There are a number of techniques you can adopt to help you manage conflict resolution in an effective manner, including:
Listen before you speak. Listening to an issue can go a long way in resolving any conflict in the work place. Get the group together for a meeting where they can all speak their piece. This is a chance to hear all sides of the story and get an understanding of what has taken place. Remain impartial and never take sides. As a leader within the company, you need to show that you do not favour one person over the next.
Remaining impartial ensures that employees know you will come up with a reasonable solution which will be fair moving forward. Never postpone any conflict resolutions. This should be dealt with without delay, which means you don't want to postpone a conflict resolution meeting at any time. This could only lead to the matter getting worse and possibly affecting employee performance moving forward. Focus on team work and encourage employees to work as a team.
13 tools to manage conflict resolution
1. Stay calm
2. Listen and understand
3. Focus on the positive
4. Be tactful when stating the case
5. Focus on the problem, not the person
6. Avoid blame
7. Focus on the future, don't dwell on the past
8. Ask the right questions
9. Pick your battles with care
10. Link offers
11. Be creative
12. Be confident
13. Celebrate successes
Module summary
This final module of the HR course provided you with an in-depth look at violence in the work place, what to look for, and how to handle the situation. Know your rights as an employer and your duties to protect employees at all times. The module also covered bullying and the differences between bullying and harassment, how to tell if someone is being bullied, and what you can do to manage the situation effectively. The last part of this module is designed to give you the skills you need to manage conflict effectively in the work place without delay.
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