As a partner in a bustling accounting firm, Michelle could not get her work done during business hours. She was most productive at night in the deserted office, free from interruptions. One evening, as she went to use the restroom, she was assaulted by a male ex-employee whom she had fired two months previously. Although she was beaten and raped, she did not call the police because of the negative impact the publicity would have on her company. 

If you think violent incidents can't happen to you or another woman in your company, don't be so sure. In 1992, the Centers for Disease Control declared workplace violence a national epidemic. Violence in the workplace has risen dramatically, especially violence to women. 

Another worker, Cheryl hoped no one would notice when she was being harassed by the unwanted advances of a male customer who was determined to win her affection. Cheryl became frightened of the increasingly persistent calls he made to the store. When his words became threatening, she reported his behavior to the female owner of the business, who was entirely sympathetic but who took no precautions to protect Cheryl. In order to protect herself, Cheryl asked a male friend to bring her to and from work each day. One afternoon, just as she was preparing to leave, the obsessed would-be suitor shot Cheryl and her friend. Several other employees were traumatized, having witnessed the shooting. 

Women are more likely than men to be the victims of workplace violence, according to a study from the National Safe Workplace Institute and Behavior Analysts and Consultants, Inc. Homicide accounts for the death of 43 percent of the women and 18 percent of the men who die at work. 

Romantic entanglements and sexual attractions contribute to workplace incidents that result in physical altercations, rape, or homicide. Female employees need to avoid romantic or personal involvements with male co-workers who have a history of aggression, use drugs and alcohol, have poor self-esteem, are jealous, have few friends, and blame other people for their problems.

Management must promptly intervene in sexual harassment by clients or co-workers, in order to prevent situations from escalating. Domestic quarrels which involve female employees should not be overlooked by management, as abusive husbands and lovers sometimes attack their women at work. Situations are likely to worsen when management avoids confronting such problems. Beware when the entire organizational climate of a particular workplace condones or ignores inter-gender conflicts and sexual harassment. 

Many work environments are a powder keg ready to explode. The Society for Human Resource Management reports more than half of all violence occurs between employees. Fierce competition for jobs in a weakened economy helps create tensions, drug abuse, and racial conflicts. A lack of concern for co-workers has been identified in the shift toward violent behavior. For these reasons and more, increased security measures on the job site are likely to have less impact than employee assistance programs, employee involvement in decision-making, stress reduction, clear personnel policies, improved human resource management, and executive coaching. 

Of course, some security measures are helpful. Prevention measures include eliminating working alone at the job site after hours or on the weekends. Some companies have instituted telephone hot lines for employees to report co-workers. 

Not hiring trouble is the best solution, but forecasting violent behavior is difficult, even for mental health professionals. Only 2% of violent acts reported in one national study were attributed to a violent criminal history. Behaviors such as verbal threats, physical actions, frustration, and obsession are more likely predictors, according to the Bureau of National Affairs. Michael Mantell, psychologist and author of Ticking Bombs, Defusing Violence in the Workplace, recommends that employers be wary of a worker who displays intense envy, has an extremely elevated sense of his worth, has long been known for making complaint after complaint, talks constantly about having many physical ailments or thinks that something bizarre is wrong with him, and is an overly suspicious or perceives unfairness related to him. 

Much has been written about the effects of termination on an already stressed employee. Companies, which downsize due to economic turns, are at a higher risk when their employees become depressed and angry. Perpetrators of violence usually believe that an injustice has been done to them or that they are being treated badly or differently than anyone else. Desperate employees who feel they are part of an oppressed class of people--for reasons real or imagined--are more likely to take the layoffs personally. Employees who perceive the intent of their managers as more hostile and malicious are more likely to be aggressive. 

Managers are increasingly more vulnerable to attack by an employee than by a stranger or client. Incidents involving an employee against a supervisor account for 13% of all reports made. The fastest-growing category of workplace violence, nationwide, is violence directed at employers or former employers, according to  Dennis L. Johnson of Behavior Analysis and Consultants in Stuart, Fla. and Joseph Kinney of the National Safe Workplace Institute, in Chicago. In 80% of workplace homicide cases, employees felt they had been treated unfairly by their employers and wanted to get even. Tensions rise under autocratic management where there is poor employer-employee communication among frustrated workers. 

When employer liability is at issue, attorneys advise employers to ask the alleged perpetrator to respond in writing to carefully drafted written allegations or to interview alleged perpetrators in the presence of security personnel or law enforcement officials. While these methods legally protect the employer, they may enrage a worker who is embarrassed by illiteracy or who loses face in front of security personnel and local law enforcement officers. Attorneys advise being extremely cautious to avoid violating the rights of the alleged perpetrator or defaming the employee when talking to others. Using a mental health consultant to assist the employer with sensitive, confidential interviewing would likely reduce tensions and employer liability at the same time. 

While treating the troubled employee fairly and with dignity, employers must remember to take all threats with utmost seriousness. If an employee has a problem, managers are wise to listen, empathize, and sincerely make an attempt to resolve the matter quickly. 

First published in Security Management Bulletin, Simon and Schuster, New York



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Trula Michaels LaCalle, Ph.D.
phone: (707-874-3284
e-mail: lacalle@Bellaii.com
Sacramento and Sonoma Counties, California, USA