Meat + Poultry - February 2016 - 86

LABOR

Reducing
workplace
violence
By now, we've all heard about the horrific and very public
shooting of two TV news employees in Roanoke, Va., last
year. The two young journalists were killed by a former
employee of the same TV station. While incidences like
this are shocking, they are, unfortunately, not uncommon.
Companies can take steps to minimize the chances of
workplace violence by understanding what the risk factors
are and developing policies to minimize the opportunities
for workers to be victims of such conduct.

HOW TO REDUCE RISKS
In order to prevent incidences of workplace violence
to the greatest extent possible, companies need to take
several steps:
Develop a policy and strictly enforce it. If
companies have not specifically addressed workplace
violence, they need to create and implement a workplace
violence policy. Any existing policies should be reviewed
to see if they are still up to date
Employers are and relevant. The policy should
clearly spell out that certain
required to
behaviors will not be tolerated,
provide a safe
including threats, physical and
emotional abuse, damaging
and healthful
company property and bullying.
workplace
It should also lay out disciplinary
for their
actions and what steps will be
taken when employees violate any
employees.
of the terms of the policy.
Understand specific risks. Risks can be increased by
industry, location, interaction with customers, company
culture and other factors. Companies need to understand
where they may be vulnerable and take steps to strengthen
those areas. This can involve supplementing current
security measures, such as alarms, sign-in systems and
on-site cameras.
Create a reporting system. It is important to allow
employees to raise concerns about actual and potential
violence in a way that lets them feel comfortable.
Employers should establish a point person or clear chain
of reporting so employees know exactly who to contact if

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MEAT+ POULTRY | 02.16 | www.meatpoultry.com

they see something that concerns them. It may be worth
creating an anonymous reporting system.
Consider background checks. Running criminal
background checks on potential new hires can help to
alert companies to those who may have a past history of
violence. However, employers must proceed carefully with
background checks. Along with federal laws, some states
and even some cities have laws that limit how background
checks can be used in hiring decisions.
In addition, any time employers conduct background
checks on employees, they must be careful to comply with
the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and any state- or localspecific laws and regulations.
Remember labor and employment laws.
Employers should also remember the implications that
labor and employment laws may have on any workplace
violence policy. For example, the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against
employees with disabilities. In addition, the National
Labor Relations Act (NLRA) protects employees who
are engaged in "protected concerted activity." This can
include speech that some may view as provocative
or threatening. Employers should consult with HR,
in-house counsel and outside counsel to help sort out
how labor and employment laws may impact a successful
workplace violence policy.
Prepare for the worst. Although companies can take
steps to lessen the chances of workplace violence, it is
not possible to completely safeguard the workplace. This
means companies need to prepare themselves and their
employees ahead of time for the possibility of threats,
injury, or even life-threatening situations.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of
1970, employers are required to provide a safe and
healthful workplace for their employees. Along with legal
obligations, employers need to consider that workplace
violence can shatter lives and cause long-term damage
to company morale. Companies need to have a plan to
minimize their risks, and be prepared to respond when
and if the issue arises.
R I C H A R D A L A N I Z | m e a t p o u l t r y @ s o s l a n d.c o m
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Meat + Poultry - February 2016

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